Recent shallow water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands (Northeast Atlantic) – Assemblage composition and biogeographic significance

Shai Oron; Alan M. Friedlander; Enric Sala; Beverly N. Goodman-Tchernov

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107671

Recent shallow water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands (Northeast Atlantic) – Assemblage composition and biogeographic significance

Shai Oron, Alan M. Friedlander, Enric Sala, Beverly N. Goodman-Tchernov

Department of Marine Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report the first survey of shallow-water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands, an isolated archipelago located in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic. In our samples, we identified 63 species of foraminifera belonging to 43 genera in the >63 μm fraction, including eight species of symbiont-bearing Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBFs). The assemblages consist mostly of epiphytic species and species associated with coarse grain and hard substrate habitats. Analysis of dead assemblages revealed two main clusters that mostly correspond with the two island groups within the archipelago and relates to their environmental characteristics. Our results provide illustrated baseline information for this remote and relatively pristine habitat, wherein foraminifer community assemblages show a higher degree of similarity to those of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Bermuda as compared to those of Mauritania, Northwest Africa. Hence, this study suggests that geographic proximity and oceanic barriers plays a lesser role than environmental parameters when determining foraminiferal biogeography. In addition, given that all LBF species reported in Selvagens are also present across the Atlantic Ocean, our results suggest that the previously defined ‘Caribbean’ LBF realm should be extended to the subtropical North Atlantic, taking into account local conditions, particularly minimal temperatures, controlling specific LBF assemblages.

Original language	English
Article number	107671
Journal	Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Volume	264
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107671
State	Published - 5 Jan 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was partly supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology through the Yitzhak Navon scholarships for female students living in the socio-economic periphery (3-15369). The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas donors. We would like to thank Oceano Azul, especially Emanuel Goncalves, the Waitt Foundation, and the captain and crew of the MY Plan B for their support. We are grateful to the Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira, especially Paulo Oliveira and Carolina Jardim Santos, for their assistance with permits, logistics, and local knowledge. We are thankful to Nairooz Qupty for assistance with picking and to CJ Everhardt at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, for assistance with SEM imaging.

Funding Information:
This work was partly supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology through the Yitzhak Navon scholarships for female students living in the socio-economic periphery ( 3-15369 ). The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas donors . We would like to thank Oceano Azul, especially Emanuel Goncalves, the Waitt Foundation , and the captain and crew of the MY Plan B for their support. We are grateful to the Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira, especially Paulo Oliveira and Carolina Jardim Santos, for their assistance with permits, logistics, and local knowledge. We are thankful to Nairooz Qupty for assistance with picking and to CJ Everhardt at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, for assistance with SEM imaging.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Benthic foraminifera
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Foraminifera
Northeast atlantic
Pristine seas
Selvagens islands

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Aquatic Science

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10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107671

Cite this

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title = "Recent shallow water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands (Northeast Atlantic) – Assemblage composition and biogeographic significance",

abstract = "We report the first survey of shallow-water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands, an isolated archipelago located in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic. In our samples, we identified 63 species of foraminifera belonging to 43 genera in the >63 μm fraction, including eight species of symbiont-bearing Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBFs). The assemblages consist mostly of epiphytic species and species associated with coarse grain and hard substrate habitats. Analysis of dead assemblages revealed two main clusters that mostly correspond with the two island groups within the archipelago and relates to their environmental characteristics. Our results provide illustrated baseline information for this remote and relatively pristine habitat, wherein foraminifer community assemblages show a higher degree of similarity to those of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Bermuda as compared to those of Mauritania, Northwest Africa. Hence, this study suggests that geographic proximity and oceanic barriers plays a lesser role than environmental parameters when determining foraminiferal biogeography. In addition, given that all LBF species reported in Selvagens are also present across the Atlantic Ocean, our results suggest that the previously defined {\textquoteleft}Caribbean{\textquoteright} LBF realm should be extended to the subtropical North Atlantic, taking into account local conditions, particularly minimal temperatures, controlling specific LBF assemblages.",

keywords = "Benthic foraminifera, Biodiversity, Biogeography, Foraminifera, Northeast atlantic, Pristine seas, Selvagens islands",

author = "Shai Oron and Friedlander, {Alan M.} and Enric Sala and Goodman-Tchernov, {Beverly N.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was partly supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology through the Yitzhak Navon scholarships for female students living in the socio-economic periphery (3-15369). The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas donors. We would like to thank Oceano Azul, especially Emanuel Goncalves, the Waitt Foundation, and the captain and crew of the MY Plan B for their support. We are grateful to the Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira, especially Paulo Oliveira and Carolina Jardim Santos, for their assistance with permits, logistics, and local knowledge. We are thankful to Nairooz Qupty for assistance with picking and to CJ Everhardt at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, for assistance with SEM imaging. Funding Information: This work was partly supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology through the Yitzhak Navon scholarships for female students living in the socio-economic periphery ( 3-15369 ). The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas donors . We would like to thank Oceano Azul, especially Emanuel Goncalves, the Waitt Foundation , and the captain and crew of the MY Plan B for their support. We are grateful to the Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira, especially Paulo Oliveira and Carolina Jardim Santos, for their assistance with permits, logistics, and local knowledge. We are thankful to Nairooz Qupty for assistance with picking and to CJ Everhardt at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, for assistance with SEM imaging. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",

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AU - Sala, Enric

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N1 - Funding Information: This work was partly supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology through the Yitzhak Navon scholarships for female students living in the socio-economic periphery (3-15369). The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas donors. We would like to thank Oceano Azul, especially Emanuel Goncalves, the Waitt Foundation, and the captain and crew of the MY Plan B for their support. We are grateful to the Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira, especially Paulo Oliveira and Carolina Jardim Santos, for their assistance with permits, logistics, and local knowledge. We are thankful to Nairooz Qupty for assistance with picking and to CJ Everhardt at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, for assistance with SEM imaging. Funding Information: This work was partly supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology through the Yitzhak Navon scholarships for female students living in the socio-economic periphery ( 3-15369 ). The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas donors . We would like to thank Oceano Azul, especially Emanuel Goncalves, the Waitt Foundation , and the captain and crew of the MY Plan B for their support. We are grateful to the Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira, especially Paulo Oliveira and Carolina Jardim Santos, for their assistance with permits, logistics, and local knowledge. We are thankful to Nairooz Qupty for assistance with picking and to CJ Everhardt at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, for assistance with SEM imaging. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

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N2 - We report the first survey of shallow-water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands, an isolated archipelago located in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic. In our samples, we identified 63 species of foraminifera belonging to 43 genera in the >63 μm fraction, including eight species of symbiont-bearing Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBFs). The assemblages consist mostly of epiphytic species and species associated with coarse grain and hard substrate habitats. Analysis of dead assemblages revealed two main clusters that mostly correspond with the two island groups within the archipelago and relates to their environmental characteristics. Our results provide illustrated baseline information for this remote and relatively pristine habitat, wherein foraminifer community assemblages show a higher degree of similarity to those of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Bermuda as compared to those of Mauritania, Northwest Africa. Hence, this study suggests that geographic proximity and oceanic barriers plays a lesser role than environmental parameters when determining foraminiferal biogeography. In addition, given that all LBF species reported in Selvagens are also present across the Atlantic Ocean, our results suggest that the previously defined ‘Caribbean’ LBF realm should be extended to the subtropical North Atlantic, taking into account local conditions, particularly minimal temperatures, controlling specific LBF assemblages.

AB - We report the first survey of shallow-water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands, an isolated archipelago located in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic. In our samples, we identified 63 species of foraminifera belonging to 43 genera in the >63 μm fraction, including eight species of symbiont-bearing Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBFs). The assemblages consist mostly of epiphytic species and species associated with coarse grain and hard substrate habitats. Analysis of dead assemblages revealed two main clusters that mostly correspond with the two island groups within the archipelago and relates to their environmental characteristics. Our results provide illustrated baseline information for this remote and relatively pristine habitat, wherein foraminifer community assemblages show a higher degree of similarity to those of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Bermuda as compared to those of Mauritania, Northwest Africa. Hence, this study suggests that geographic proximity and oceanic barriers plays a lesser role than environmental parameters when determining foraminiferal biogeography. In addition, given that all LBF species reported in Selvagens are also present across the Atlantic Ocean, our results suggest that the previously defined ‘Caribbean’ LBF realm should be extended to the subtropical North Atlantic, taking into account local conditions, particularly minimal temperatures, controlling specific LBF assemblages.

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KW - Biodiversity

KW - Biogeography

KW - Foraminifera

KW - Northeast atlantic

KW - Pristine seas

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AN - SCOPUS:85120972296

SN - 0272-7714

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JO - Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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ER -

Recent shallow water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands (Northeast Atlantic) – Assemblage composition and biogeographic significance

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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