Influence of abiotic factors on the abundance of Foraminifera in the Odessa Sea Region, Black Sea

Ludmila V. Vorobyova

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5536-8836

Institute of Marine Biology of the NAS of Ukraine, Pushkinskaya str., 37, Odessa 65048, UKRAINE

Abstract

Based on long-term data, regularities in the dynamics of the distribution and the average long-term abundance of taxocene representatives Foraminifera depending on some abiotic factors (type of bottom substrates, depth, bottom water temperature, oxygen regime) are discussed. The high concentration of Foraminifers in the Odessa Sea Region (OSR) was a characteristic of silty substrates at a depth of 16-20 m (average 133,134.5±21,745.1 ind m^-2, maximum 835,000 ind m^-2 during hypoxia). The Foraminifera played a greatest role in the formation of the total abundance of meiobenthos in spring, with a deficit of dissolved oxygen in the lower layers of water. An active increase in numbers was observed both at a low dissolved oxygen content of 1-4 mg/l and at 9 mg/l O₂.

Keywords: Odessa Sea Region, Black Sea, Foraminifera, abiotic factors

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