Table_1_A Multiparametric Approach to Unravelling the Geoenvironmental Conditions in Sediments of Bay of Koper (NE Adriatic Sea): Indicators of Benthic Foraminifera and Geochemistry.xlsx

The Bay of Koper is influenced by agricultural, urban, and port activities, therefore pollution from trace metals is a concern. A total of 20 sediment samples obtained from four 10-cm sediment cores were analyzed. Element concentration in the sediment of the bay was determined spatially and temporally from the recent surface to depth. The results were correlated with the composition and diversity of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages. Major element concentrations indicate natural lithogenic origin (which is also confirmed by mineralogical features). The benthic foraminiferal assemblages in sediment samples, although mainly composed of representatives of the Rotaliida, show moderate to high species diversity and are dominated by the pollution tolerant species Ammonia pakinsoniana, Haynesina sp., Valvulineria bradyana and the non-keel Elphidium sp. and subordinated by Ammonia tepida and Haynesina depressula. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) on foraminiferal species and trace element concentrations shows a possible control of some potential toxic elements (i.e., Cu, Ni, Pb, Zr, Cr, As) on the diversity and taxonomic composition of foraminiferal assemblages. Nevertheless, foraminiferal diversity and dominance in the bay are related to sediment characteristics such as sediment grain size, and the amount of terrigenous inflow rather than to the element concentrations of sediments. This study evaluated ecological conditions by using the Foram-AMBi and EcoQS indices. The values of the Foram-AMBI index reflect the good to moderate quality of ecological conditions, whereas high to poor ecological statuses were interpreted by calculating EcoQS.

科佩尔湾（Bay of Koper）受农业、城市活动与港口作业的共同影响，因此微量金属污染已成为该区域备受关注的环境问题。本次研究共分析了采自4根10cm沉积岩芯的20个沉积物样品。研究人员从新近表层至岩芯深部，对该湾沉积物中的元素浓度开展了空间与时间维度的测定。随后将测定结果与底栖有孔虫群落（benthic foraminiferal assemblages）的组成及多样性进行了关联分析。主量元素浓度结果表明其源自天然陆源成因，这一结论也得到了矿物学特征的佐证。沉积物样品中的底栖有孔虫群落虽主要由轮孔目（Rotaliida）类群组成，但整体呈现中等到较高的物种多样性；优势类群包括耐污染物种帕金森卷转虫（Ammonia pakinsoniana）、Haynesina属、布雷迪有孔虫（Valvulineria bradyana）以及无龙骨的Elphidium属，次要类群则为钝卷转虫（Ammonia tepida）与凹陷Haynesina（Haynesina depressula）。针对有孔虫物种与微量元素浓度开展的典型对应分析（Canonical correspondence analysis, CCA）结果显示，部分潜在有毒元素（即铜Cu、镍Ni、铅Pb、锆Zr、铬Cr、砷As）可能对有孔虫群落的多样性与分类组成存在调控作用。尽管如此，该湾有孔虫的多样性与优势度，实则与沉积物粒度、陆源输入量等沉积物特征关联更为紧密，而非沉积物中的元素浓度水平。本研究采用Foram-AMBi与EcoQS指数对该湾的生态状况进行了评估。Foram-AMBI指数的数值反映出该湾生态状况处于良好至中等水平，而通过计算EcoQS指数则可判定其生态等级涵盖从优良至极差的多个区间。