Recent foraminifers from the inner shelf of the central West Coast, India: A reappraisal using factor analysis

Abstract

Setty and Nigam (1980) had described 72 species of benthonic foraminifers from 25 inner shelf stations off central West Coast of India and the results showed somewhat patchy and anamolous distributions. This paper presents the results ofQ-mode factor analysis, which was applied to reduce the number of variables into assemblages. The analysis reveals 4 important foraminiferal assemblages.Ammonia beccarii—Ammonia annectens assemblage,Nonion boueanum—Florilus scaphum assemblage.Trochammina inflata assemblage andBulimina exilis assemblage. They can be related to freshwater run-off and organic matter contents of the sediment.