Benthic foraminifera as indicators of water renewal in Bertioga estuarine channel (SP, Brazil)

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 193; no. 7; p. 458
• Main Authors: Eichler, Patricia P. B., Barker, Christofer Paul, de Miranda, Luiz Bruner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-07-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ammonia; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Benthos; Brackishwater environment; Dilution; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental indicators; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental quality; Environmental science; Estuaries; Fixed stations; Foraminifera; Freshwater; Haplophragmoides wilberti; Hydrography; Indicator organisms; Indicator species; Indicators; Inland water environment; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Renewal; Salinity; Salinity effects; Spring tides; Stratification; Summer; Tidal oscillations; Trochammina inflata; Winter; Brazil; Temperature; Habitat; Stratification; Circulation; Renovation; Salinity
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09215-7

We use benthic foraminifera and hydrography as environmental indicators to characterize the estuarine channel of Bertioga (SP, Brazil). Salinity and temperature measured in four fixed stations (F1–F4) influence differentiation related to species habitat, fluvial discharge, and environmental quality. Tidal oscillation during neap and spring tides changes the Hansen and Rattray stratification-circulation classification from highly stratified (type 2b) to weakly stratified (type 2a). In the northern entrance close to Itapanhaú River, F1 is highly stratified environment (type 2b), with significant difference between bottom and surface salinities, presenting
Pararotalia
sp.,
Pseudononion atlanticum
,
Hanzawaia boueana
, and
Quinqueloculina lamarckiana
as indicator species. F2 in summer is highly stratified (type 2b) with large difference between surface and bottom salinity, whereas in winter is partially mixed weakly stratified (type 2a) with small difference between salinities and the agglutinated
Arenoparella mexicana
,
Haplophragmoides wilberti
, and
Trochammina inflata
thrives
.
In summer and winter, F3 is partially mixed weakly stratified (type 2a) with
A. mexicana
,
H. wilberti
,
Trochammina inflata
,
Ammobaculites
sp
.
, and
Ammotium salsum
. In the southern entrance, F4 in the winter, is partially mixed, weakly stratified system (type 2a) that changes to highly stratified (type 2b) with large difference between salinities. This indicated low influence of fluvial freshwater and high influence of saline and polluted waters from Santos Channel where
Arenoparella mexicana
,
Gaudryina exilis
, and
Ammotium cassis
inhabits. Presence of
Quinqueloculina
spp. and
Triloculina
sp. indicates high saline influence, and presence of
Ammonia tepida
and
Elphidium
spp. indicates mixohaline environments which salinity dilution occurs.