SUBSURFACE FORAMINIFERAL DISTRIBUTION AND TEST PRESERVATION IN SHORT CORE SAMPLES FROM THE STRAITS OF MALACCA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46754/umtjur.v5i2.380Keywords:
benthic foraminifera, tropical waters, indicator, core sample, biofaciesAbstract
The Straits of Malacca-A shallow and hyposaline straits-Is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world and divides Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. This study assessed the subsurface distribution of benthic foraminifera, their preservation, and their relationship with the sediment characteristics of the Straits of Malacca. One short sediment core sample was collected from the southern part of the Straits of Malacca. The core was then divided into 10 subsamples at every 2 cm interval. The samples were used for foraminifera identification grain size and organic matter analysis. From the approximately 3000 benthic foraminiferal tests that were selected and identified, 17 species exhibited ≥ 2% occurrence in at least one subsample along the core. Out of the 17 species identified, 4 species [Asterorotalia pulchella (57%), Cavarotalia annectens (13%), Discorbinella bertheloti (7%), and Pseudorotalia schoerteriana (6%)] exhibited an average relative abundance of > 5% in all core intervals. Cluster analysis subdivided the core intervals into two groups of thanatofacies: T1 and T2. Both groups were dominated by A. pulchella. The PCA biplot indicated that T1, which represented the upper subsurface intervals, had relatively more agglutinated species than T2. No significant correlation was observed between test preservation and organic matter composition and sediment type. Additionally, despite being common in surface samples along the Straits of Malacca, species such as Textularia sp. were absent further down the core. This study indicated that in the subsurface sediment of the Strait of Malacca, calcareous hyaline species, especially those belonging to Rotaliida, were abundant and readily preserved compared to the agglutinated or calcareous porcelaneous groups. The loss of several agglutinated groups down the cores indicated that a more discreet approach to paleoenvironmental interpretation using benthic foraminifera assemblages should be adopted in this region to avoid bias in the interpretation. This is because different species may have different preservation potential.
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