A Study on the foraminifera distribution in the Gulf of Thailand

Abstract

Fifteen bottom sediment samples from the Gulf of Thailand were examined for total (dead + living) foraminifera content. It was found that the seven most dominant species of foraminifera were Ammonia planktonic, Ammonia sp., Anomalina sp.,Elphidium sp., Planulina sp., Quinqueloculina sp. and Textularia sp. Species diversity measured by the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, H(S), varied from 1.44 to 2.80. Higher H(S) values are associated with deeper stations having finer sediment and lower values with shallower stations having coarser sediments. Total abundances of foraminifera did not show significant correlation with increasing water depth (r2 = 0 .0 0 0 1 and P > 0.10).