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Research Article: Study of coral reef benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf
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N. Olad Azimi1   , P. Ghavam Mostafavi1 , A. Maghsoudlou *2 , B. Moghaddasi3 , A. Mashinchian Moradi1 |
1- Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University
2- Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science , wahabbio@gmail.com
3- Islamic Azad University, Savadkooh Branch |
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Abstract: (2392 Views) |
| Benthic foraminifera are important in sediment production of coral reef environments and are excellent indicators of water quality and reef health. There is a lack of precise information about the foraminifer’s fauna of the coral reefs in the Persian Gulf. In this study, sediment sampling was performed in June 2019 from two coral stations of Naz Island and Zeytoon Park. The surface sediment with three replicates for each location was collected using a mini corer and then were fixed in 70% ethanol. In this study, thirty species belong to 23 genera and 19 families of foraminifer's assemblages were identified based on morphological characters. Our results indicated that Foraminiferal assemblages were similar in both sampling localities. Quinqueloculina was the most abundant genera for both Naz Island and Zeytoon Park. Foraminifer's frequency of Zeytoon Park was higher than Naz Island. Symbiont-bearing foraminifera (e.g. Peneroplis) were observed just in Zeytoon Park. Higher frequency and the presence of symbiont-bearing foraminifera possibly indicate that Zeytoon Park has a more favorable condition for the coral reef growth in the future. Finally, we recommend that the structure of the foraminifer’s community could be used as an early warning system for water quality around coral reefs and in particular, would help resource managers make better decisions about protecting coral habitats. |
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| Keywords: Foraminifera, Coral reefs, Diversity index, Taxonomic distinctness, Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf, Iran |
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Full-Text [PDF 667 kb]
(1189 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Orginal research papers |
Subject:
Ecology
ePublished: 2021/03/20
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