Abstract
This study relates the abundance of foraminifera with the fluctuations in hydrobiological characteristics generated by the monsoonal cycle in a tropical mangrove ecosystem. Monthly variation of physicochemical properties of water and sediment, phytoplankton production, foraminiferal assemblages were measured in the littoral zone of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Intra-annual variation of foraminifera exhibited a maximum abundance during the post-monsoon period and out of the 25 genera, numbers of calcareous and agglutinated forms were 16 and 9, respectively. Live benthic foraminifera were found to inhabit a wide range of sediment depths and inhabiting a high energy environment their abundance was not restricted to the uppermost centimeter. Owing to mechanical damage (due to high energy system), chemical dissolution and intense bioturbation, the taphonomic processes in this mangrove swamp could result in the destruction of the small size fraction of foraminifera, including agglutinated tests. The low numbers of agglutinated foram could be due to silty clay substrate. Abundance of more calcareous dead specimens over live ones could be attributed to predation and transportation of dead marine species. Most of the marine species could not survive in this freshwater dominated system. Anthropogenic nutrient input and diatom bloom in association with enhanced food to benthos are important controlling factors on foraminiferal abundance and composition.
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