FORAMINIFERAL POPULATIONS AND MARINE MARSH PROCESSES1

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Abstract
Low marsh and high marsh foraminiferal populations are related to mean tide levels in some places. This information can be used to estimate tidal regime, current velocities, and water exchange in a coastal lagoon containing marshes if area and bathymetry of the lagoon are known. The least diverse faunas have agglutinated tests and occur in high runoff areas in tropical, temperate, and subarctic areas studied. The most diverse faunas contain abundant calcareous lagoon and open‐ocean species and result from invasion of undiluted marine water in an area of low runoff. High runoff causes displacement of marsh species into adjacent environments.Large standing stocks of foraminifera in most marshes indicate abundant food and high organic production. Fast deposition of detrital sediment is reflected in high ratios of living specimens to empty tests. Some strongly hypersaline marshes support large populations of calcareous species. Calcareous tests may not be preserved in ancient sediments because of low pH below the surface in most marsh sediments.

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