Distribution and morphological abnormalities of recent foraminifera in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (North Adriatic Sea, Italy)

Abstract

The Marano and Grado Lagoon, is a northern Adriatic wetland system of relevant naturalistic and economic value that is constantly under quality control in accordance with the current environmental directives. The benthic foraminifer community with its morphological abnormalities was investigated in the recent sediments (about 10 years old) of 21 stations; the samples were collected within the framework of the "MIRACLE" Project, which aimed at testing the coexistence of clam farming with high Hg contamination. Euryhaline foraminifers, well known in Mediterranean brackish-waters, mainly characterize the total assemblage. Ammonia tepida dominates in areas characterized by low salinity, high clay and organic carbon content, but is also subjected to anthropogenic pressure. Elphidium gunteri and Haynesina germanica are recorded in the western sector of the lagoon, which is more affected by salinity variations and agricultural activities. Slightly higher values of assemblage diversity appear in less restricted areas of the lagoon or, at least, where physical parameters such as temperature and salinity are less variable. The test abnormalities, carried out on total assemblage, show that the FAI (Foraminiferal Abnormality Index) values always exceed 1% of the total assemblage, with clear decreasing gradients from inland to the sea (from N to S) and from W to E in the studied area.

Benthic foraminifera or Ostracoda? Comparing the accuracy of palaeoenvironmental indicators from a Pleistocene lagoon of the Romagna coastal plain (Italy)

“…Similar values of relatively low dominance (0.19 on average) and high diversity (H value of 2.03 on average) recorded for this assemblage are reported from inner to outer portions of Adriatic and Tyrrhenian brackish-water environments (Carboni et al, 2009;Melis and Covelli, 2013).…”

“…These taxa dominate lagoons, coastal lakes, and estuaries, where salinity, oxygen, organic matter, and nutrients rapidly change (Alve and Murray, 1994;Stouff et al, 1999). Specif- ically, A. parkinsoniana is common in the northern Adriatic lagoons of Venice , Marano, and Grado (Melis and Covelli, 2013) and also in the Goro lagoon of the Po River delta ( Fig. 1; Coccioni, 2000).…”

“…In detail, Cribroelphidium oceanense is a brackishwater species, common in shallow Mediterranean lagoons www.j-micropalaeontol.net//37/203/2018/ and coastal lakes (Debenay et al, 2000;Carboni et al, 2009;Frontalini et al, 2009). This taxon is particularly abundant in eutrophic areas characterized by high concentrations of nutrients and variations in salinity (Melis and Covelli, 2013). Elphidium advenum lives in coastal areas and it is recorded in low percentages in the Mediterranean lagoons (Albani and Serandrei Barbero, 1990;Hohenegger et al, 1993).…”

“…This species also occurs in brackish-water environments such as lagoons and coastal lakes (Carboni et al, 2009;Melis and Covelli, 2013).…”

The functional significance of the spinose keel structure of benthic foraminifera: inferences from <i>Miliolina cristata</i> Millett, 1898 (Miliolida) from northeast Romania

“…Murray, 1963Murray, , 1973Brasier, 1982;Corliss and Fois, 1990;Boltovskoy et al, 1991;Yanko et al, 1994Yanko et al, , 1998Polovodova and Schönfeld, 2008;Buosi et al, 2010;Mellis and Covelli, 2013;Iglikowska and Pawlowska, 2015). Recent studies based on molecular data show significant variability within distinct molecular groups of foraminifera (Pawlowski and Holzman, 2002;Pawlowski et al, 2003;Longet and Pawlowski, 2007) and prove that two different morphotypes can correspond to the same species in spite of their morphological differences (Pillet et al, 2012(Pillet et al, , 2013.…”