Index Geophysics

eng Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages in a Restricted Environment - An Example from the Mljet Lakes (Adriatic Sea, Croatia)

eng Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from a peculiar restricted marine environment, the Mljet Lakes (Mljet Island, Adriatic Sea, Croatia) have been studied. These lakes are drowned karst dolines, which are connected with the Adriatic Sea through a narrow, shallow channel. Occasional stagnant conditions in the marine lakes cause hypoxic and anoxic conditions in the bottom waters. Such stressed conditions are reflected in oligospecific benthic foraminiferal assemblages with a Shannon-Wiener species diversity index (H) ranging from 0.8 to 1.0 and equitability index (E) ranging from 0.18 to 0.26, identified in samples from each marine lake. In the more dysoxic Malo Jezero, Haynesina depressula dominates an assemblage of 12 benthic foraminiferal species. In the less (and less frequently) hypoxic Veliko Jezero, we found an Asterigerinata mamilla assemblage with 18 foraminiferal species. A more diverse assemblage containing 55 different benthic foraminiferal species occupies an adjacent open-sea station.

Long-term salinity measurements indicate that H. depressula tolerates higher salinity than formerly presumed (up to 38‰), and is well adapted to stressed hypoxic conditions.

Vaniček, V.

Juračić, M.

Bajraktarević, Z.

Ćosović, V.

eng Benthic foraminifera; Anoxia; Restricted environment; Elphidium; Haynesina; Mljet Island; Adriatic Sea; Croatia

Croatian Geological Survey

2000

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Geologia Croatica

ISSN 1330-030X (Print)

ISSN 1333-4875 (Online)

Volume 53

Issue 2

eng

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Full text of articles are freely accessable. Subscription to print issue is 500,00 Kn (80 Eur) per volume.