Living planktonic foraminifera from the northwestern Pacific Ocean: SSU rDNA sequences and their paleoceanographic significance

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Abstract Living planktonic foraminifera (PF) samples from the Okinawa Trough of the northwestern Pacific Ocean were taken for DNA analysis. The SSU rDNA sequences of two PF species, Globigerina sp. and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata collected at Station WP01, were obtained and compared with those from the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Only small differences (<0.7%–1.2% for P. obliquiloculata, and 0.3% for Globigerina sp.) were found between samples from the north- and south-western Pacific Ocean areas and this molecular evidence supported that these micropaleontogical species are the same species, which implies that the West Pacific Ocean circulation system influences the planktonic foraminiferal gene communication.