Distribution patterns of Recent planktonic foraminifera in surface sediments of the western continental margin of India

Study of Recent planktonic foraminifera from the surface sediment samples of western continental margin of India reveals the ecological preferences of the different planktonic foraminifer species in the area. Higher absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera in the offshore associated with the lower frequencies of the productivity indicator Globigerinoides bulloides and lower absolute abundance in the nearshore with higher frequencies of G. bulloides appears to suggest that productivity does not control the absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera in this area. In general, the difference in absolute abundance between offshore and nearshore indicates that the dilution by terrigenous and other biogenic (benthic foraminifera and diatoms) material governs the absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera.

Globigerinoides sacculifer shows a significant positive correlation with salinity and a negative correlation with temperature, which reflects its preference for higher salinity and lower temperature of the surface water. Globigerinoides ruber abundances are related to a distinct highly saline Persian Gulf water mass in the eastern Arabian Sea. Neogloboquadrina butertrei shows a strong inverse relationship with surface water salinity in the eastern Arabian Sea. Therefore, the relative abundance variations of N. dutertrei in sediment cores of the southeastern Arabian Sea can be used to reconstruct the past surface water salinity, which varies according to the strength of the northeastern monsoon.

The high diversity of planktonic foraminifera in the offshore is attributable to equitable environmental conditions. The high-salinity surface waters ( > 36‰) and terrigenous dilution in the northeastern Arabian Sea limit the diversification of species in this region.