ESTABLISHING A THERMOTOLERANT BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA DATABASE USING A STACKED SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODEL

Species distribution models (SDMs) have emerged as valuable tools for predicting species distributions in response to changing environmental conditions. In this study, we utilized a stacked species distribution model (SSDM) to identify thermotolerant species of benthic foraminifera in the Arabian Gulf, a region characterized by diverse oceanographic and environmental conditions. The SSDM approach allowed us to assess the spatial and temporal distributional patterns of over 753 benthic foraminiferal species and subspecies belonging to 236 genera, 99 families, 43 superfamilies, and 11 orders. We curated a comprehensive dataset spanning over 60 years, consisting of remotely sensed environmental variables and benthic foraminiferal species distributions from the Arabian Gulf. By utilizing this extensive dataset and the SSDM approach, we successfully identified more than 50 thermotolerant species. The identities of these species were validated by comparing them with known thermotolerant species. Thermotolerant benthic foraminifera (TBF) play a crucial role in marine ecosystems and serve as reliable indicators for assessing the impact of global warming on shallow shelves. Our research helps to establish a large database of foraminifera species with the ability to cope with rapidly rising sea surface temperatures and other environmental factors. We observed considerable variation in thermal stress tolerance among foraminiferal species, highlighting the complexity of their responses to changing environmental conditions. This study contributes to ongoing efforts to understand benthic foraminiferal diversity worldwide in the context of a rapidly changing climate. The identified thermotolerant species can serve as valuable proxies for monitoring future ocean warming regimes and predicting how their spatial and temporal distribution may evolve over time.