Recent benthonic foraminifera from the Western Antarctic Ocean

R W Jones,C A Pudsey

doi:10.1144/jm.13.1.17

Abstract

Abstract. Approximately 60 species of benthonic foraminifera are recorded from 14 samples collected by the RRS Discovery from water depths of 200–4200 m on the Antarctic Peninsula Shelf and Slope and adjacent areas of the Western Antarctic Ocean. Discussion focuses firstly on benthonic foraminiferal abundance, diversity and assemblage composition and the effects of calcite dissolution and, secondly, on the characteristic assemblages of the study area and their relationships to water-masses.

Highlights

Antarctic Peninsula Shelf The seven samples from the Antarctic Peninsula Shelf are from water depths of 200-575 m (Table 1)
The Antarctic Peninsula Shelf samples are generally characterized by low benthonic foraminiferal abundance and diversity
Agglutinating and calcareous benthonic species occur in equal proportions in the study samples on the Antarctic Peninsula Shelf (200-575 m), while agglutinating species generally predominate on the Antarctic Peninsula Slope and in South Sandwich, the Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea (2700-4200 m)

Summary

Introduction

Most of the pioneering work was done in the early part of this century by, among others, Heron-Allen & Earland (1922, 1929, 1932) and Earland (1933, 1934, 1936) (foraminifera collected on the various Discovery I and I / , Scotiu, Terra Nova and William Scoresby Expeditions of the 1920s), Wiesner (1931) (German South Polar Expedition of 1901-3), Parr (1950) (BANZ Antarctic Research Expedition of 1929--31) and Shchedrina (1979) (Soviet Antarctic Expedition of 1955-66). The trochamminacean foraminifera described by Heron-Allen and Earland have recently been comprehensively revised by Bronnimann & Whittaker (1988). Kennett (1973), Fillon (1974), Kellogg ef al. (1979), Osterman & Kellogg (1979), Milam & Anderson (1981), Nomura (1983, 1984) (surface and shallow subsurface sediments); Quilty (1985) and Schroder-Adams (1990) (Eastern Antarctica) (Lutzow-Holm Bay, Prydz Bay, Adelie-George V Land and Ross Sea); Pflum (1966), Echols (1971), Herb (1971), Anderson (1975), Lena (1975, 1980), Pudsey et al (1987) (surface and shallow subsurface sediments); Mackensen ef al. (1990) (Western Antarctica) (South Sandwich, Scotia Sea, South Orkneys, Drake Passage, Weddell Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, Bellingshausen Sea and Amundsen Sea); and Lindenberg & Auras (1984) (Kerguelen Plateau)

Results

Discussion

Conclusion