High benthic foraminiferal species counts in a Clyde Sea maerl bed, western Scotland

Abstract A preliminary investigation of the occurrence of hard-shelled benthic foraminifera in a sample of maerl (gravels derived from calcareous red seaweed) collected from a water depth of 10 m by SCUBA diving in the Clyde Sea, Scotland reveals an exceptionally well-preserved and diverse assemblage. A total of 90 different species were identified, comprising 12 agglutinated, 15 porcelaneous and 63 hyaline types; this represents the highest recorded species count described from the west of Scotland. The assemblage probably represents an integrated record of material derived directly from the maerl (mostly epifaunal types) and material derived from the reworking of adjacent sediments (mostly infaunal types). Maerl deposits represent an important near-shore habitat which appear to have been largely overlooked in regional studies of benthic foraminiferal distribution/ecology.

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