Taxonomy and distribution of benthic foraminifera in an intertidal zone of the Yellow Sea, PR China: Correlations with sediment temperature and salinity

Seasonal variations in foraminiferal populations from the intertidal environment of the Yellow Sea are not well known. This results in restricted understanding of environmental implications of foraminifera and their application in paleoenvironment reconstruction in this region. Community dynamics of both living and total (living plus dead) assemblages in a Qingdao intertidal flat were investigated from 2010 to 2012 during 17 months' sampling in two intertidal zones. Our study revealed a distinct seasonal variation in assemblages, which was more prominent in the low intertidal area. Foraminiferal abundance, species richness and Margalef index showed significant positive correlations to salinity, while species richness was negatively associated with temperature. A total of 52 species was identified and illustrated, including the dominant species: Ammonia beccarii, A. aomoriensis, A. aberdoveyensis, A. sobrina, Quinqueloculina seminula and Murrayinella globosa. Foraminiferal community parameters in the low intertidal area were higher than those in the high intertidal area, especially for the living assemblages, reflecting a seaward preference. Our study revealed that different tidal levels (low vs. high intertidal) had a more distinct influence in regulating foraminiferal assemblages than did seasonal influence.