Foraminiferal Abundance at the Western Water of Kai Islands, Molucca Province, Related to Oceanographic Condition

Abstract

Foraminifera is a single-celled marine organism known as a potential proxy for (paleo)environment and (paleo)oceanography conditions. It also has been widely used as an indicator of coral reef health. We analyzed microfauna foraminifera from nine core top of marine sediments. Marine sediments have been collected by gravity core from western Water of Kai Islands, on board Geomarin III of MGI. The study aims to understand the microfaunal community and the oceanographical condition of Kai islands. The result indicates the high abundance and diversity of foraminifera, comprised of 95 species, including 28 species of planktonic and 67 benthic species. Planktonic type is very dominant (95.4% on average), typical for a bathyal environment. The dominant species are Neogloboquadrina dutertrei (21.21% on average), Globorotalia menardii (16.67% on average), Globigerina bulloides (11.73%), and Pulleniatina obliqueloculata (7.83%). Those are indicator species for a high productivity environment. However, Globigerinoides ruber, an oligotrophic warm water type, is also abundant (13.86% on average). Furthermore, the dominant genera of benthic types are Bolivina, Bulimina, dan Uvigerina (1.2% on average). This finding indicates relatively eutrophic and warm water conditions of west waters surrounding Kai Islands, with dysoxic bottom water conditions.