Intertidal Foraminifera from the Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

MÁRQUEZ MELINA; FERRERO, L; CUSMINSKY, GABRIELA

ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2022 vol. 276 p. 1 - 13

0272-7714

The present study aims to analyze the composition and distribution of the intertidal foraminiferal assemblages of the Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon (southeast coast of Buenos Aires Province). For this purpose, the abundance and diversity of the living and dead fauna were determined; the taphonomic features of the tests were analyzed; and physico-chemical measurements were taken at 10 sites of the lagoon. The assemblages were constituted mainlyby autochthonous fauna. The sediment grain size and salinity are the main variables that determine the distribution of species and discerned three assemblages, associated with three sub-environments. The first subenvironment of coarse sediment and mesohaline waters corresponds to non-vegetated plains in the mouth of the lagoon. It contains Buccella peruviana, Elphidium discoidale, and Quinqueloculina patagonica. The second subenvironment of fine sediment and mesohaline waters corresponds to non-vegetated plains in the inlet of the lagoon. It includes Elphidium gunteri, B. peruviana, Ammonia parkinsoniana, Ammonia tepida, Miliolinella subrotunda,Rosalina williamsoni, Pyrgo ringens, Discorbis peruvianus, and Q. patagonica. The third sub-environment of coarse sediment - waters ranging from polyhaline to mixoeuhaline and fine sediment - oligohaline waters corresponds to vegetated and non-vegetated plains and floodplains far from the mouth of the lagoon. It contains Ammonia spp, and E. gunteri.