Morphometric analysis of the shells of the Genus Bolivina from the Gulf of Gela (Sicilian Channel, Italy): a valid classification instrument?

Preliminary results on the distribution of benthic foraminifera in the lagoon like coastal basin Stagnone di Marsala (Trapani, Italy)

Study of benthic foraminifera in the Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Gela (Sicilian Channel) and their possible use as bioindicators

Studio delle tanatocenosi a foraminiferi bentonici nel Golfo di Gela

THE EFFECT OF HEAVY METALS ON BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA IN THE GULF OF GELA (SICILIAN CHANNEL)

Benthic foraminifera are very sensitive to oceanographic parameter variations, to which they rapidly response through changes in the abundance and/or richness of their associations and in morphological variations of their shell. Many studies have used benthic foraminifera as bioindicators. We investigated recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Gulf of Gela (Sicilian Channel, Mediterranean Sea), examining their relative abundance, specific richness and morphological abnormalities, to highlight a possible correlation with oceanographic features and the concentration of heavy metals in sediments. Sediment was sampled in summer 2006 using box corers in four stations at increasing dista…