Foraminifera Assemblages Research Articles

Lithology and sedimentation conditions of the latest Cretaceous of the Klementyeva Mountain section (Eastern Crimea)

Overall study of the boundary Maastrichtian–Danian deposits of Klementyeva Mountain section (Eastern Crimea) was carried out. The lithological characteristics of carbonate, carbonate-argillaceous and clastic rocks were described in detail, the dynamic of changes in foraminifera assemblages was analyzed. For the first time, geochemical and isotopic data were obtained for this section. The stratigraphic complement of the Upper Maastrichtian and Lower Danian has been specified. Late Campanian – Early Maastrichtian age of the underlying deposits was established, for the first time. The Klementyevskaya Formation was formed in deep-sea pelagic paleoenvironments on the submerged part of the outer shelf, and the overlying Lower Danian sediments were formed in shallow waters of the inner shelf with terrigenous sedimentation and high hydrodynamic activity.

Pleistocene to early Holocene paleoenvironmental evolution of the Abrolhos depression (Brazil) based on benthic foraminifera.

The paleoenvironmental evolution of the Abrolhos Depression (AD) on the southern Abrolhos Shelf during the global post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) transgression is investigated through benthic foraminifera analysis. Downcore sediment samples (core DA03A-5B) collected at a depth of 63m provide insights into the formation and paleoenvironmental variations of AD over the past 18 kyr BP. The core is divided into four biofacies based on foraminifera assemblages. At the base, the presence of carbonate concretions indicates a karstic surface, marking the initiation of the paleolagoon formation at approximately 13 kyr BP with low density of foraminifera, where species such as Elphidium sp. and Hanzawaia boueana (EH Biofacies) were more abundant. During the Younger Dryas (YD) (12.8-12.5 kyr BP), the AD exhibits two distinct phases: an initially confined lagoon environment with reduced circulation characterized by the dominance of the species Ammonia tepida (At Biofacies), followed by increased circulation characterized by higher density, richness, and diversity of benthic foraminifera. The end of the YD is identified by a significant biofacies change, indicative of a shallow marine environment, where the dominant species were A. tepida and Elphidium excavatum (AE Biofacies), supported by sedimentological and geochemical proxies. This paleoenvironmental shift is associated with Meltwater Pulse (MWP) -1B, suggesting a connection to a shallow marine environment. As sea levels continue to rise, the AD transitions into an open marine setting. However, around 8 kyr BP, a change occurs with the absence of A. tepida and the occurrence of planktonic and other benthic foraminifera typical of the outer shelf, indicating depths greater than 50m (HQ Biofacies). The findings highlight the complex interplay between climate fluctuations, sea-level changes, and the formation of coastal environments during the LGM transgression. This study contributes to our understanding of paleoenvironmental dynamics, adding valuable insights to the evolutionary history of AD. The results emphasize the importance of integrating benthic foraminifera analysis, radiocarbon dating, and geochemical proxies to reconstruct paleoenvironments accurately. Overall, this research enhances our knowledge of global continental shelf evolution during the post-LGM transgression and provides valuable information for future paleoenvironmental studies.

Holocene benthic foraminifera ecological succession in the Panamanian Caribbean

Benthic foraminifera assemblages from a 452 cm long sediment core (GAL18) were collected from a mangrove forest on the Caribbean coast of Panama. The core spans the last ∼5200 cal yrs. B.P. Ninety-six benthic species were recorded in the sedimentary sequence. The most frequent and abundant were the calcite hyaline species Ammonia batava, Ammonia tepida, Ammonia ariakensis, Elphidium articulatum, Elphidium cristobalense, and Cribroelphidium galeroense. The second most abundant were four porcelaneous species: Quinqueloculina cf. araucana, Quinqueloculina cf. poeyana, Quinqueloculina neocostata and Quinqueloculina seminulum. There were also scattered species of agglutinant taxa along the core and in modern sediments. Micropaleontological, sedimentological, and geochemical analyses allowed the recognition of four lithologic units that were consistent with four paleoenvironmental scenarios of ecological succession. (I) The Estuarine Zone deposited at ∼5200–3600 cal yrs. B.P. suggests the development of a mangrove ecosystem along a channeled tidal area with estuarine water exchange and dominant species from brackish waters such as Ammonia and Cribroelphidium. Isotopic (δ13Corg, δ15N), geochemical (C/N, Ca/Ti, K/Rd, Fe/Ca), and pollen data also show a polyhaline environment with bio-calcite production and active coastal weathering. (II) The Seaward Zone deposited between ∼3600–1250 cal yrs. B.P., closest to marine waters, with an overall increase in benthic species, like the euhaline Quinqueloculina spp., and other calcareous organisms. (III) The Transition Zone was deposited amid 1250–650 cal yrs. B.P. when the area experienced less frequent flooding by tidal waters, dominated by polyhaline Elphidium and Ammonia spp., and the establishment of a mangrove ecosystem influenced by changing salinity, as the sea level almost reached its modern position. Finally, (IV) the Landward Zone deposited over the last 650 cal yrs. B.P., where the lack of benthic foraminifera and bio-calcite deposits contrast with high amounts of organic carbon and vegetal debris, which supports that the core site was located further inland than in previous intervals. This multiproxy study features subtle but irreversible changes that a fringe mangrove community can experience over time, highlighting the complex relationship between the coastal region and the sea.

Micropaleontological and sedimentological analyses of carbonates rocks in parts of Sokoto Basin, Nigeria: implications for paleoecological interpretation and exploration efforts

This study presents a detailed analysis of the Paleocene and Maastrichtian marine sediments in the Sokoto Basin, Nigeria, using boreholes GSN – BH – 2051 and GSN – BH – 4051, respectively. This study is aimed at integrating sedimentological, micropaleontological and petrographic data in paleoecologic interpretation of depositional environments of the Sokoto Basin. The methods adopted in this research involved the examination of ditch cuttings, carbonate thin sections, and microfossils analyses from the boreholes drilled in Sokoto Basin. The sedimentological data from the borehole showed that the studied stratigraphic unit comprises mainly fine to medium-grained limestone facies, sparitic intraclastic packstone and oolitic-elmicrite wackestone facies. The microfacies obtained from petrography data revealed micro-fossils abundance and diversity associated with the onset of shallow marine transgression which resulted in the deposition of the Dange and Kalambaina Formations, respectively. The assemblages of the larger foraminifera (Opercullnoides bermudezi) and the larger ostracod (Bairdia iIaroensis) in the borehole sections further suggested marginal marine depositional environment for the Kalambaina and Gamba Shale Formations. The paleoecological interpretation suggests varying salinities and dysaerobic conditions during deposition, with implications for understanding basin evolution. The study concludes by highlighting the importance of integrating multiple methods for a detailed understanding of paleoecological and depositional environment of Sokoto sedimentary basin.

Deoxygenation of the Eastern Tropical North Pacific over the last 1200 years

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) are characterized by a dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration <0.5 ml L−1. In situ DO measurements suggest that the global OMZ upper limit is shallower than 60 years ago due to global warming. The benthic foraminifera assemblage, trace elements, and biological productivity and denitrification tracers have been used in paleoceanographic research, given that they indicate dysoxic and suboxic changing conditions of bottom water. Studies of benthic foraminifera assemblages in the southwestern margin of Baja California Sur are scarce. Thus, it is necessary to conduct a paleoecological analysis of the benthic foraminifera community on an approximately 1200-year timeline. The sediment core LONO09-MC02 (1200 years old) collected at 680 m depth was examined to analyze benthic foraminifera relative abundances and estimate the DO concentration in the OMZ of Baja California Sur's southwestern margin. The DO concentrations inferred from benthic foraminifera assemblages ranged between 0.09- and 0.17-ml l−1 (4.4 and 8.0 μM). This suggests that the OMZ has maintained dysoxic conditions over the past 1200 years. Moreover, the cluster and principal component analysis defined dysoxic, suboxic, and oxic assemblages. The decoupling between geochemical tracers was associated with biogeochemical cycles of the North Pacific subtropical gyre and varied in response to intermediate water circulation in the Pacific Ocean. The low estimate of dissolved oxygen concentration corresponded with minimal solar activity, favoring La Niña-like oceanographic conditions with high primary productivity.

New data about a Kimmeridgian larger foraminiferal assemblage from a section cropping out NW of Los Reyes Metzontla, Puebla, Mexico

Northwest of Los Reyes Metzontla, Puebla, a rock succession outcrops that is composed of limestone and sandstone that contain larger foraminifera as well as bivalves such as Trichites sp., corals, and stromatoporid Cladoropsis mirabilis. From the beds with Trichites, we found an assemblage of larger foraminifera that is composed of the species Pseudospirocyclina mauretanica, Choffatella tingitana, Pseudocyclammina lituus, Everticyclammina virguliana, E. praekelleri, Rectocyclammina chouberti, Mesoendothyra croatica, Nautiloculina oolitica, Siphovalvulina variabilis, and Coscinoconus alpina. In the present work, this association was dated as Kimmeridgian age (Late Jurassic) and represents an important record, since rocks of this age have not previously been reported in this area. The larger benthic foraminifera identified in the studied material inhabited the shallow-water environments which were widely distributed around the Tethys during the Late Jurassic.

Depositional environments of Danian/Selandian of Kurkur Formation, Kurkur Oasis, south Western Desert, Egypt

In order to document the depositional environments of the Kurkur Formation in Southwestern Desert, Egypt, four surface sections measured in this region from north to south as follows: Gebel Garra, Wadi Abu-Sayal, Kurkur Oasis, and Sinn El-Kaddab. Planktonic foraminifera indicate that the age of Kurkur Formation in the study area is Danian to Selandian. Microfacies analysis shows graduation from wackestones, floatstones, and packstones in the lower part to oolitic and bioclastic grainstones in the upper section. The lower part of Kurkur Formation characterized by calcareous foraminifera assemblages, whereas arenaceous types are concentrated toward the uppermost part. Bivalves, gastropods, and echinoids are the most abundant macrofossils. Using the microfacies analyses and fossil content, the Kurkur Formation in the studied area deposited in middle neritic zone for the lower part, which is synchronous with the beginning of the Cenozoic transgression in the study area, and changed upward to inner neritic and supratidal environments.

Unraveling ecological signals related to the MECO onset through planktic and benthic foraminiferal records along a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic shallow-water succession

The shallow-water Capo Mortola succession (Liguria, NW Italy) yields diverse assemblages of smaller benthic and planktic foraminifera, larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), and calcareous nannofossils. With the aim of improving the understanding of the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) impact on the shallow-water marine biotic communities due to global warming, we provide biostratigraphic and stable isotope data to achieve a reliable stratigraphic constraint of the MECO. The correlation of the stable isotope oxygen data with datasets of similar age from other regions suggests that only the onset of the MECO interval is recorded in the Capo Mortola section. Quantitative analyses of smaller benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that the shallow-water setting of Capo Mortola was not particularly affected by the onset of the MECO perturbance because no variation in nutrient supply or oxygen level were detected. A different scenario is recorded by the LBF genera Operculina and Discocyclina, which increased in abundance across the MECO onset, probably due to a rise in temperature and adapting to the increase in nutrient supply. In the upper water column, the variations in calcareous plankton communities appear to be controlled by both the MECO warming and a moderate increase in eutrophic conditions related to the enhanced hydrological cycle. Nutrients, mostly consumed in the upper water column, reached the seafloor in a limited amount, as benthic foraminifera record a meso-oligotrophic environment across the studied MECO interval.

Dissolved oxygen affinities of hundreds of benthic foraminiferal species

Over the past decades, fossil assemblages of benthic foraminifera have been used to reconstruct the variability of oxygen-depleted areas, including oxygen minimum zones. These areas currently represent almost a tenth of the global oceans' surface area, and further expansion is expected due to global warming; with major impacts on marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and fisheries. To predict their future evolution, accurate estimates and quantification of past oceanic oxygenation are needed, and thus consistent calibration of the O2 estimation transfer functions is required.Here, we combine the BENFEP database that compiles all the benthic foraminiferal census data published for the East Pacific Ocean, with dissolved oxygen data interpolated from the WOA18 and GLODAPV2.2022 databases, to describe the oxygen affinities of the 1526 benthic foraminiferal taxa from the BENFEP database among 1691 samples. The affinities of the most common 202 species of the database are detailed here. For each of these taxa, the range of oxygen concentration, average O2 value where the species is usually found, and O2 value associated with its peak in relative abundance are listed and used to assign each taxon to the oxygen categories anoxic, dysoxic, suboxic, low oxic, and high oxic.Finally, using the relative abundance of each of these five oxygen assemblages and their associated taxa, transfer function indices of dissolved oxygen estimation were refined. The new BFAex extends the range of applicability of the formerly published BFA index, here updated using all the available samples BFAup and extended from 0.04 to 2.58 mL L−1 to 0.02–6.62 mL L−1.

Diversity and endemism of hard-shelled benthic foraminifera in permanently oxygen-depleted bottom waters: An analysis from the eastern Pacific

Benthic foraminifera are single-celled organisms inhabiting all marine environments. Despite their high tolerance to oxygen depletion, the prevailing hypothesis anticipates a reduction in their diversity in permanently oxygen-depleted environments, including oxygen minimum zones. Here we re-evaluate diversity and study the endemism of benthic foraminifera in the eastern Pacific, an oceanic area hosting the largest permanently oxygen-depleted waters of the world. We focus our analysis on the oxygen-depleted bottom waters and study how they compare with well-oxygenated waters. By utilizing extensive datasets of quantitative information on benthic foraminifera assemblages obtained from morphological traits, we present evidence that challenge traditional viewpoints. Contrary to prior inferences primarily derived from regional studies, our findings reveal that the median diversity (species richness and the Shannon index) calculated on both, living and dead assemblages does not decrease in the most oxygen-depleted bottom-waters. The analysis of unique (endemic) and shared species shows a divide between the neritic-bathyal oxygen-depleted bottom waters with low number of endemic species, and the well-oxygenated abyss hosting high number of unique species. These patterns could be explained by the long-term species exchange in the upper ocean and the isolation of the lower ocean.

Leeuwin current dynamics in the SE Indian Ocean and implications for regional surface hydrography since the latest Miocene: Results from ODP Site 763A

This study examines the relationship between the ocean circulation dynamics in the eastern Indian Ocean and climate variability in Northwest (NW) Australia over the last 6.1 million years. The vertical water column of the southeastern Indian Ocean was analyzed using planktic foraminifera assemblages, and oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of surface and subsurface dwelling foraminifera from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 763A. The X-ray fluorescence data of bulk sediment from ODP Site 763A was also used to understand variability in relative humidity and aridity in NW Australia associated with surface ocean warming. The findings suggest a pronounced change in surface oceanography and climate in the region from 5.4 to 5 Ma, indicating a weak Leeuwin Current (LC) and reduction in mixed layer thickness. Subsequently, between 5.0 and 3.6 Ma, a strongly stratified water column with a thick mixed layer and deep thermocline emerged owing to the intensified Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). This led to a strengthened LC and diminished surface productivity, corresponding to a wet phase in NW Australia. The closure of the Indonesian Seaway during the Middle Pliocene (3.6–3.2 Ma) restricted the flow of West Pacific Warm Water into the Indian Ocean, weakened the LC and intensified the dry phase in NW Australia. Significant shifts in planktic foraminifera abundances are observed in the early Pleistocene (2.6–1.2 Ma) perhaps linked to major changes in surface ocean circulation. During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (1.2–0.6 Ma), the West Australian Current exerted a significant influence over Site 763A.

Recent shallow-water benthic foraminifera from a tropical estuary, SW Nigeria

This paper presents a comprehensive survey of benthic foraminifera from shallow waters of the Apapa-Badagry Creek estuary in southwestern Nigeria. Sediments of the Apapa-Badagry Creek, an important estuary surrounded by sprawling estates and industrial parks, yielded diverse assemblages of benthic foraminifera with a total of eighty-eight species. They include hyaline-perforate taxa which dominated the inner western sites around the Lagos Harbor in the Apapa Creek with Ammonia aoteana, A. tepida, A. convexa, Ammonia sp. 1, Ammonia sp. 2. Agglutinated taxa are well established in the westernmost areas in the Badagry Creek, where there is seamless fresh-water mixing, with high populations of Ammotium salsum and few occurrences of Milliamina fusca and Ammobaculites species. The miliolids, represented mainly by species of Quinqueloculina, occupy sample stations in the Commodore Channel which flourish under conditions of marine and tidal influences. Cribroelphidium mirum, Pararotalia sarmientoi, Bolivina striatula and Rosalina species are also found within the Commodore Channel sediments. Our study widely extends and completes previous studies from the tropical eastern Atlantic, especially within the Gulf of Guinea and provides new information on the distribution, diversity, and species richness of shallow-water benthic foraminifera fringing the Atlantic coast of Africa.

ForCenS-LGM: a dataset of planktonic foraminifera species assemblage composition for the Last Glacial Maximum

Species assemblage composition of marine microfossils offers the possibility to investigate ecological and climatological change on time scales inaccessible using conventional observations. Planktonic foraminifera - calcareous zooplankton - have an excellent fossil record and are used extensively in palaeoecology and palaeoceanography. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 19,000 – 23,000 years ago), the climate was in a radically different state. This period is therefore a key target to investigate climate and biodiversity under different conditions than today. Studying LGM climate and ecosystems indeed has a long history, yet the most recent global synthesis of planktonic foraminifera assemblage composition is now nearly two decades old. Here we present the ForCenS-LGM dataset with 2,365 species assemblage samples collected using standardised methods and with harmonised taxonomy. The data originate from marine sediments from 664 sites and present a more than 50% increase in coverage compared to previous work. The taxonomy is compatible with the most recent global core top dataset, enabling direct investigation of temporal changes in foraminifera biogeography and facilitating seawater temperature reconstructions.

Coherent response of zoo‐ and phytoplankton assemblages to global warming since the Last Glacial Maximum

AbstractAimWe are using the fossil record of different marine plankton groups to determine how their biodiversity has changed during past climate warming comparable to projected future warming.LocationNorth Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. Time series cover a latitudinal range from 75° N to 6° S.Time periodPast 24,000 years, from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the current warm period covering the last deglaciation.Major taxa studiedPlanktonic foraminifera, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores.MethodsWe analyse time series of fossil plankton communities using principal component analysis and generalized additive models to estimate the overall trend of temporal compositional change in each plankton group and to identify periods of significant change. We further analyse local biodiversity change by analysing species richness, species gains and losses, and the effective number of species in each sample, and compare alpha diversity to the LGM mean.ResultsAll plankton groups show remarkably similar trends in the rates and spatio‐temporal dynamics of local biodiversity change and a pronounced non‐linearity with climate change in the current warm period. Assemblages of planktonic foraminifera and dinoflagellates started to change significantly with the onset of global warming around 15,500 to 17,000 years ago and continued to change at the same rate during the current warm period until at least 5000 years ago, while coccolithophore assemblages changed at a constant rate throughout the past 24,000 years, seemingly irrespective of the prevailing temperature change.Main conclusionsClimate change during the transition from the LGM to the current warm period led to a long‐lasting reshuffling of zoo‐ and phytoplankton assemblages, likely associated with the emergence of new ecological interactions and possibly a shift in the dominant drivers of plankton assemblage change from more abiotic‐dominated causes during the last deglaciation to more biotic‐dominated causes with the onset of the Holocene.

Biostratigraphic analysis of a Late Pleistocene to Holocene section from Punta Pescador, eastern Venezuela

A biostratigraphic study was undertaken on a shallow borehole drilled to 90 meters in the easternmost Orinoco Delta, Venezuela. Twenty-eight samples were analyzed for palynomorphs and foraminifera. Palynomorphs were recovered in all except one sample consisting of 178 entities. Foraminifera assemblages of low diversity were recovered in 17 of the 28 samples. The analysis provides some insight into the vegetation, climate, and depositional history allowing comparisons with other Late Pleistocene to Holocene studies in the northern South America region. The Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene transition is marked by an unconformity, where the vegetation changes from a diverse flora of Mauritia flexuosa, grasses (Poaceae), ferns, and mangroves (Rhizophora, Avicennia) to one dominated by Rhizophora around 10,000 years BP. This transition also contains reworked palynomorphs and abundant black wood (inertinite), indicative of erosion and oxidation. The absence of foraminifera suggests an exposed continental shelf and lowering of sea level. The Early Holocene mangrove flora is replaced by vegetation dominated by Mauritia flexuosa, with Symphonia globuliflora, grasses, and ferns. The palynological signature for the upper 42 m of the section compares favorably with a previous study of the Holocene in the Orinoco Delta. Radiocarbon dating indicates there is an unconformity or condensed section at the vegetation change, representing as much as 5500 ± years. Foraminifera indicate an open shelf environment immediately above this horizon followed by a significant shallowing to nearshore transitional environments near the top of the section. Local climate and/or human influence may have been a factor in the abundance of Mauritia flexuosa as suggested by other studies.

Biostratigraphy of the Eocene shallow-water succession of the south Sabzevar area (Central Iran) based on larger benthic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils

A rich larger foraminifera assemblage from the Eocene carbonates of the south Sabzevar region (Now-Deh section) in central Iran indicates a late Ypresian to early Lutetian age. Nine species of Alveolina d’Orbigny are studied for systematics and biostratigraphy. The assemblage includes A. minuta, A. decastroi, A. cremae, A. cremae elongata, A. decipiens ayrancensis, A. celali, A. rugosa, A. cuspidata, A. frumentiformis. We have also found nummulitids (genus Nummulites and Assilina) and orthophragmines identified as N. campesinus, N. praediscorbinus, A. placentula, A. praespira, A. reicheli, A. ex. intrec. laxispira-maior and Discocyclina archiaci bartholomei. The recovery of Alveolina cremae elongata, A. decipiens ayrancensis, A. celali, A. rugosa, A. cuspidata and Assilina praespira has permitted for the first time to extend their geographical distribution outside of the classical peri-Mediterranean area to the central Tethys regions. The obtained biostratigraphy points to the Shallow Benthic Zones SBZ11 to SBZ13, indicating the occurrence of a Lower–Middle Eocene carbonate system. Part of the age model is supported by the calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy that belong to the NP14b and CNE8 biozones, recorded from the central portion of the studied section. Issues regarding the application of the SBZ into the Middle East domains are discussed in terms of relative stratigraphic position and biogeographic dispersal of some significant Alveolina species.

REFERENCE SECTION OF THE UPPER MAASTRICHT OF MOUNT KLEMENTYEVA (SOUTH-EASTERN CRIMEA)

The results of a comprehensive study of the reference section of the Upper Maastrichtian of Mount Klementyev (South-Eastern Crimea), composed of a terrigeneous-carbonate strata. It was found that sedimentation occurred in relatively deep-water conditions. Biostratigraphic analysis of benthic and planktonic foraminifera assemblages made it possible to identify foraminiferal zones in the section and confirm the deep-water type of sedimentation in the basin at this interval.

A comparative approach employing microCT for the analysis of Cenozoic foraminifera from the Brazilian carbonate equatorial platform

Worldwide, some of the largest hydrocarbon reservoirs are located in tropical neritic carbonate deposits. Biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental analyzes of these sedimentary records are often based on the study of foraminiferal assemblage. Foraminifera-based biozones are widely employed in the oil industry to support drilling processes that, alongside petrophysical prospecting, define interval favorable for exploiting hydrocarbon resources. Both scientific research and the petroleum industry, however, usually apply traditional petrographical and paleontological methods to analyze microfossil assemblages, especially for large benthic foraminifera. New, faster, and more accurate methods based on microCT analyzes have emerged as a valuable high-output tool to obtain high-resolution microfossil records for biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. This method is also useful for the development of digital databases for artificial intelligence applications. MicroCT analyzes, therefore, lead to faster identification of foraminifera assemblage and support digital access to international foraminifera repositories and reference collections, introducing a new dimension in micropaleontological research.

Linosa island: a unique heritage of Mediterranean biodiversity

ABSTRACT This publication presents a newly created map of the seafloor of Linosa, a volcanic island located in the Sicily Channel (Mediterranean Sea). The seafloor of Linosa was previously surveyed using geophysical and ground-truth data (in 2016 and 2017). Linosa is regarded as a "sentinel area" for alien species and worldwide environmental changes because of its geographical location, making it worthy of particular attention. The predominant habitats found in Linosa have been identified as three priority habitats: Posidonia oceanica meadows, rhodolith beds, and coralligenous habitats, which encompass extensive coral forests. Another crucial environmental indicator is the assemblages of benthic foraminifera, which were previously studied in this area to analyse their correlations with the topography of the seafloor. Hence, all the accessible data was gathered to create a novel comprehensive map of the seabed (at a scale of 1:15,000), with the objective of displaying and highlighting the abundant marine biodiversity of Linosa.

Transfer of the Brent Wilson microfossil collection to the European Micropalaeontological Reference Centre

The Wilson collection at the EMRC holds a total of 300 microscope slides and consists mostly of picked and sorted assemblages of Miocene and Recent foraminifera from Trinidad and Tobago. The collection includes the holotype and paratypes of the species Asterigerina murraynhaynesi Wilson and Hayek.