Foraminifera in a New Zealand salt marsh and their suitability as sea-level indicators

Vertical distributions of live and dead foraminiferal abundances are investigated in a salt marsh at Pounawea in southeastern New Zealand for potential use in Holocene sea-level reconstructions. Statistical analyses are conducted to determine whether dead foraminiferal abundances can be utilised as a proxy for elevation in southeastern New Zealand. It is concluded that dead salt-marsh foraminifera, which can predict elevations to within ± 5 cm or better, are precise sea-level proxies. Holocene sea-level reconstructions along the tectonically stable Catlins Coast based on fossil salt-marsh foraminifera can therefore serve as a potential baseline tool to estimate relative vertical tectonic displacement along tectonically active coasts in New Zealand.