Paper No. 17
Presentation Time: 1:30 PM-5:30 PM
THE ECOLOGY OF LIVING (STAINED) BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA FROM OFFSHORE KANGAROO ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
Living (rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera were examined from two multicore samples taken from different water depths (949 and 2476 m) within the Murray Submarine Canyon Group, located 60 km south of Kangaroo Island. This study is part of an interdisciplinary, multi-national effort to study the geology, biology, and paleoceanography of the region. Based on initial sedimentological findings, the region appears to be one of high productivity. Foraminiferal assemblages (>150 microns) include paleoceanographically-important taxa, such as Uvigerina peregrina, Chilostomella, and Globobulimina. Vertical distribution profiles of species' abundances within the sediments revealed patterns consistent with those observed in other regions. Results from this study will not only provide new information about benthic ecosystems in the region, but will also generate modern analog data for paleoceanographic reconstructions.