Spatial Distribution and Assemblage Structure of Foraminifera in Nayband Bay and Haleh Estuary, North-West of the Persian Gulf
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Spatial distribution and assemblage structure of foraminifera in Nayband Bay and Haleh Estuary, north-west of the Persian Gulf Item Type article Authors Mooraki, N.; Moghadasi, B.; Manoochehri, H.; Changizy, R. Download date 24/09/2021 14:23:45 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/37390 Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences 12(3) 654- 668 2013 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Spatial distribution and assemblage structure of foraminifera in Nayband Bay and Haleh Estuary, North-West of the Persian Gulf Mooraki N.1*, Moghadasi B.2, Manoochehri H.3, Changizy R.3 Received: November 2012 Accepted: December 2012 Abstract The spatial distribution of benthic foraminiferal assemblage of Nayband Bay and Haleh Estuary in the North-West of the Persian Gulf, was explored during 2011-2012 . The relationship between spatial pattern of foraminifera assemblages and the ambient factors (i.e. water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, sediment grain size distribution, sediment organic content, and CaCO3 concentration of sediments) was measured. The most abundant benthic foraminifera species which were found in the studied area include Ammonia beccarii, Eponides repandus, Quinqueloculina sp., Elphidium sp. The two most abundant species belongs to Rotaliidae family. The specimen groups presented in the study area were somehow the same, and their relative abundance did not vary tremendously in sites consisting of foraminifera assemblages. The fauna shows affinities to those of the southern coastline of the Persian Gulf and also the Oman Sea. The BIO-ENV analysis identified temperature, salinity, pH, and total organic matter as the major environmental variables influencing the infaunal pattern. Generally foraminiferal populations were sparse in the study area, which may be due to the low depth and consequently, low distribution of foraminiferal specimens. Keywords: Benthic Foraminifera, Spatial distribution, Environmental parameters, Nayband Downloaded from jifro.ir at 23:41 +0330 on Thursday February 15th 2018 Bay, Haleh Estuary, Persian Gulf ____________________________________________ 1- Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University(IAU),Tehran, Iran 2- Department of Natural Resources, Savadkoh Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Savadkoh, Iran 3- Department of Fisheries Science, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Babol, Iran *Corresponding author, Email: [email protected] Downloaded from jifro.ir at 23:41 +0330 on Thursday February 15th 2018 655 Mooraki et al., Spatial distribution and assemblage structure of foraminifera… _________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction northern coastline of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea despite some early endeavors Foraminifera, unicellular eukaryotic which generally focused on identifying organisms, have a worldwide distribution foraminifera of deep sections (Habibnejad, and could be found in a various range of 1997; Rahmati, 1997; Sohrabi aquatic environments, especially in tropics. Mollayousefi, 2003; Nabavi, 2004; Nabavi Foraminifera could be found as a benthic et al., 2005; Moghadasi et al., 2009), the or planktonic specimen. Benthic structure of benthic shallows near shore foraminifera as an epifaunal or infaunal foraminifera assemblages and their spatial species are considered as valuable variation in Nayband Bay and Haleh palaeoenvironmental indicators as the Estuary have largely remained unknown. ambient factors, including temperature, However, a considerable amount of studies salinity, sediment texture, depth, oxygen had been done along the southern coastline level and flux of organic material are of the Persian Gulf (Loeblich and Tappan, affected them (Murray, 1991; Van der 1964; Murray, 1966a, b, 1970a, b). In this zwaan et al., 1999). As it is mentioned by regard, to explore the assemblage of Moghadasi et al. (2009) the spatial and benthic foraminifera in Nayband Bay and temporal distribution of benthic Haleh Estuary, the present study based on foraminifera are controlled effectively by two main objectives, has been conducted. ambient factors; however, these limiting The primary objectives of the present effects is species-specific. Moreover, this study were to explore the community group of organisms extensively used as a structure and spatial pattern of benthic bioindicators for characterizing foraminifera in Nayband Gulf and Haleh contaminated and hypoxic environments Estuary. A further objective was to explore (Alve, 1990, 1991; Sharifi et al., 1991; Downloaded from jifro.ir at 23:41 +0330 on Thursday February 15th 2018 the relations between spatial pattern of Yanko et al., 1994, 1998; Samir, 2000; benthic species with environmental Pascual et al., 2002; Mikac, 2007). variable (i.e. water temperature, salinity, Among various ranges of aquatic pH, DO, sediment particle size ecosystems, estuaries are important distribution, sediment organic matter, and because of different aspects as they CaCo3 concentration in sediment) in the maintain a diverse array of organisms mentioned zone. In this respect, the (Dobson and Frid, 1998; Currier and benthic assemblages and environmental Small, 2005), and also being so variables were sampled in Nayband Bay impressible from anthropogenic activities. and Haleh Estuary from March 2011 to Mendes et al. (2004) showed that the March 2012. spatial distribution of shallowest near Material and methods shore species are clearly influenced by the outflow of the estuary and by local This study was undertaken in Nayband hydrodynamic conditions. Along the Bay and Haleh estuary, Northwest of the Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 12 (3), 2013 656 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Persian Gulf, near to Assaluyeh in the seasonal precipitation occurring mainly North (27º 30´ S, 52º 35´ E) (Fig. 1). from November to February. Samples (i.e. Nayband Bay is a subtropical tidal coast benthic foraminifera and environmental with an approximate tidal range of 3 m. factors) were collected from six sites Haleh estuary and Nayband Bay receive during high tide in depth of 20 m . irregular freshwater following the (a) Downloaded from jifro.ir at 23:41 +0330 on Thursday February 15th 2018 (b) Figure 1: (a)The location of Nayband Bay and Haleh Estuary, and (b) the location of the sampling sites in Nayband Bay and Haleh Estuary, north-west of the Persian Gulf. 1,50000 The sites were chosen in a way to Samplings were performed from encompass the entire area (Fig. 1). bimonthly. Bottom samples were gathered 657 Mooraki et al., Spatial distribution and assemblage structure of foraminifera… _________________________________________________________________________________________ using a 0. 1m2 Van Veen grab; then 3 during the sampling procedure using replicates were taken from each sample in WTW conductimeter . six studied sites by 28.26 cm2 area slender Data Analysis sampler. Collected sediments were mixed with 4% formalin buffered in sea water. Data analysis was done by use of PRIMER Preserved samples were being washed version 6 (Polymouth Marine with tap water and sieved through a 0.063 Laboratories, Clark and Warwick (2001) mm mesh, dried at 75゚c for 3 h , floated by and SPSS version 13. The hypothesis the heavy liquid CCl4 and the upper layer states that, the spatial patterns in the on the liquid consist of target specimens number of species were divided with were filtered by paper and allowed to dry. respect to sedimental charactrestics was Samples were sorted under a explored by measuring the relative Bray stereomicroscope and specimens identified curits similarity of assemblage at the study by use of systematic and classification area and was depicted using non-metric keys (i.e. Loeblich and Tappan, 1964; multidimensional scaling ordination Cushman, 1969; Loeblich and Tappan, (nMDS). The hypothesis that foraminifera 1988). One additional sediment sample assemblage differed among sites was was collected from each six sites for tested using analysis of similarity sediment particle size distribution, calcium (ANOSIM) to be evaluated whether any carbonate concentration, and TOM content observed differences inforaminifera analyses. For determining sediment assemblages were statistically significant. particle size distribution, sample was dried The contribution of specific taxa to the at 70゚C for 48 h and sieved through a differences in foraminifera assemblages nested series of sieves Folk (1968). For among sites was examined using SIMPER Downloaded from jifro.ir at 23:41 +0330 on Thursday February 15th 2018 measuring the concentration of Calcium analysis. 4th root transformation was used carbonate the dried sediment (70º C, 8 h) to reduce the influence of very abundant was mixed with HCL (0.1 N) after 24 h species. The objective as to which, soaking the upper liquid phase was environmental factor and to what extent discharged and the sediments filtered, was affected the composition of forams dried and weighed. For determining the assemblages and their spatial pattern, was total organic matter content through evaluated by BIOENV routine. The weight loss, the samples were first dried at taxonomic richness, evenness, and 70゚C for 48 h and then combusted at Shannon-Wiener diversity index were 550゚C for 60 min Regional Organization measured using Diverse Routine in for the Protection of the Marine PRIMER. Differences in environmental Environment, ROPME