Coastal & Marine Geology Program > Center for Coastal Studies > Biscayne Bay Benthic Organisms Project

Chemical Pollutants and Toxic Effects on Benthic Organisms, Biscayne Bay, Florida

Biscayne Bay Forams Home Photo Gallery: Common Forams of Biscayne Bay Issues: Everglades Restoration Coral-Reef Health Project Overview: Phase I: Pilot Study Phase II: Bay-Wide Assessment Methods: Introduction Benthic Foram Analysis Heavy-Metal Analysis Grain-Size Analysis References Project Contact: Barbara Lidz

Common Forams of Biscayne Bay: A Photo Gallery Below are species of benthic foraminifera (forams) that belong to specific foram assemblages commonly found in Biscayne Bay. When occurring in abundance, each dominant assemblage represents a functional group diagnostic of environment. See Methods: Benthic Foram Analysis for more information. Except for agglutinated genera, benthic forams secrete their shells from calcium, magnesium, and oxygen dissolved in sea water. Agglutinated taxa build their shells by cementing tiny particles from their environment together. A: Oligotrophic symbiont-bearing taxa B: Agglutinated taxon Asterigerina Laevepeneroplis Archaias Textularia C: Smaller nutrient-tolerant heterotrophic taxa Rosalina Miliolinella Quinqueloculina Triloculina D: Opportunistic taxa Ammonia Bolivina Nonion Cribroelphidium E: Abnormal (deformed or misshapen) specimens Miliolinella + Triloculina Quinqueloculina Triloculina Miliolinella Images courtesy of Heidi Crevison Souder and Pamela Hallock, University of South Florida College of Marine Science. Definitions: Oligotrophic: environment low in dissolved nutrients Symbiont-bearing: reef-building stony corals and reef-dwelling benthic forams contain symbiotic algae required for their growth, calcification, and color Heterotrophic: environment with abundant dissolved nutrients but not to the point of being eutrophic Eutrophic: environment saturated with dissolved nutrients that promote prolific growth of non-symbiotic algae

Coastal & Marine Geology Program > Center for Coastal Studies > Biscayne Bay Benthic Organisms Project

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Updated April 13, 2007 @ 10:25 AM (THF)