Preliminary results from the Finike Seamounts foraminifer assemblages, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Preliminary results from the Finike Seamounts foraminifer assemblages, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Nazik Öğretmen, Süheyla Kanbur, Onur Gönülal

ORCID IDs: N.Ö. 0000-0003-0117-1058; S.K. 0000-0002-5208-4379; O.G. 0000-0002-5559-3953

Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Department, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak-Sarıyer, Istanbul, TÜRKİYE
Süleyman Demirel University, Süleyman Demirel Cd., 32260 Merkez, Isparta, TÜRKİYE
Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Onaltı Mart Şehitleri Cad. No: 2, 34134 Fatih, Istanbul, TÜRKİYE
Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box: 10, Beykoz, Istanbul, TÜRKİYE

Abstract

The Finike Seamounts, located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, are a Special Environmental Protection Area and offer new information on the foraminifers. In this study, two surface samples from two stations located at 1800m and 2200 m water depth were studied for their foraminifer assemblages. Although abundant in planktic foraminifers, the Finike Seamounts display a very poor, small in size but diverse benthic foraminifer assemblage as a common feature encountered in seamount ecosystems. In total 22 planktic foraminifer species belonging to one suborder, two superfamilies, four families, and 13 genera were identified. Among these identified species, interestingly, any keeled globorotalid forms were not encountered. Regarding benthic foraminifers, in total 38 species belonging to six suborders, 15 superfamilies, 23 families, and 27 genera were identified. The presence of miliolids among benthic foraminifers points to a possible sediment supply from the infralittoral depths.

Keywords: Planktic foraminifers, benthic foraminifers, taxonomy, ecosystem, Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Finike Seamounts

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