We report exceptionally high agglutinated benthic foraminiferal abundance on the slope of the western Bay of Bengal. Out of these, two morphogroups, namely B and C are sub-grouped into (B1-B4) and (C1-C2), respectively. Agglutinated foraminifera are divided into four morphogroups (A to D).

The abundance of both living (rose-Bengal stained) as well as dead agglutinated benthic foraminifera and their morphogroups, has been studied in a total of 42 core-top samples from the depth range of 25 to 2540 m, covering the entire shelf and slope. Here we report the ecological preferences of agglutinated morphogroups from the fresh-water influx dominated western Bay of Bengal. The response of various agglutinated morphogroups may, however, vary regionally. The information of the ecological niches of benthic foraminifera will help in environmental impact assessment and paleoecological studies.Īgglutinated benthic foraminiferal morphogroups have often been used as a proxy in paleoecological studies. The species in Assemblage 3 (Globocassidulina subglobosa, Epistominella exigua, Gyroidinoides subzelandica, Reophax longicollis, Adercotryma glomeratum, Cystammina pauciloculata, Spiroplectammina biformis) prefer deeper waters with moderate organic carbon and dissolved oxygen. Assemblage 2 includes species (Verneuilinulla propinqua, Ammodiscus incertus, Buliminella dubia, Rotaliatinopsis semiinvoluta, Bolivina lowmani, Fursenkoina spinosa) thriving in the regions with abundant food availability and low oxygen concentration on the continental slope. Assemblage 1 (Ammonia beccari, Pseudononion costiferum, Hanzawaia nipponica, Bolivina frondalis, Bolivina dilatata, Bolivina striatula, Asterorotalia milletti) representing warmer, well-oxygenated water and coarse substrate with low organic carbon is restricted to the inner shelf.

Three distinct species assemblages were identified. The living benthic foraminifera were abundant on the upper slope (~100–700 m). The ecological preferences of living benthic foraminifera from the riverine influx dominated eastern continental margin of India have been studied.

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