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Coastal salt marshes are highly-productive vegetated areas at the upper intertidal that develop in wave-sheltered estuaries, deltas, and semi-enclosed bays. While in mid latitudes salt marshes are numerous and prosperous, towards the polar circle their number and extension is strongly reduced, and they are scattered along low energy coasts in suitable areas. A few papers dealing with salt marsh foraminiferal fauna of subarctic Canada, USA and Norway have been published to date, and the foraminiferal assemblages of the Russian subarctic salt marshes have never been surveyed yet. Here we report on species compositions of the foraminiferans and vascular plants from the two salt marshes from the western White Sea coast. We identified 9 foraminiferal species: Jadammina macrescens, Balticammina pseudomacrescens, Trochammina inflata, Miliammina fusca, Ovammina opaca, Elphidium williamsoni, Elphidium albiumbilicatum, Ammotium salsum, Ammobaculites exiguus, which grouped into two distinct assemblages ('high marsh' and 'low marsh') each confined to certain vascular vegetation belt. Foraminiferans J.macrescens, B.pseudomacrescens, T.inflata resided at high marsh and were associated with reed foxtail Alopecurus arundinaceus, black-grass Juncus gerardii and sea plantain Plantago maritima, whereas M.fusca and E.williamsoni dwelled at low marsh in association with annual glasswort Salicornia pojarkovae and seashore alkali grass Puccinellia maritima. Foraminiferal fauna of the salt marshes was highly abundant (up to 3000 total living specimens per 10cm³), and numerically dominated by E.williamsoni (max 2048 ind./10cm³) and M.fusca (max 1148 ind./10cm³) at low marsh. The relative abundance of high marsh species was higher in Matrenin marsh, whereas low marsh species prevailed at Sukhaya Salma. The foraminiferal species diversity of the subarctic salt marshes studied is lower than in temperate regions and other subarctic marshes. The funding was provided by RFBR grant 14-04-93083.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLive foraminifera as a new model system for monitoring and reconstructing marine environments
Subtitle of host publicationMeeting Handbook & abstracts
Pages44
StatePublished - 2016
EventLive Foraminifera as a new model system for monitoring and reconstructing marine environments - Eilat, Israel
Duration: 10 Sep 201616 Sep 2016

Conference

ConferenceLive Foraminifera as a new model system for monitoring and reconstructing marine environments
Country/TerritoryIsrael
CityEilat
Period10/09/1616/09/16

ID: 106652254