Recent benthic foraminifera of the Gulf of Guinea

Recent benthic foraminifera in surface sediments from the continental slope in the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa) were studied in order to determine the utility of foraminiferal species and assemblages as environmental and bathymetric indicators. In the study 67 samples, ranging in water depth from 631 to 4970 m, collected during the "METEOR" expedition M6-5 were needed.
Based on their depth range and geographic distribution the dominant species of the living (stained) and the dead assemblage of the 63-250 µm grain size fraction were divided ("stacking by eye") into three bathymetric groups: The Upper Bathyal Fauna. the Lower Bathyal Fauna and the Abyssal Fawia. These faunal associations have partly overlapping depth ranges. A comparison of the depth ranges of the faunal groups in the Gulf of Guinea with results of investigations of other authors show that similar bathymetric divisions of foraminiferal faunas also occur in the lower and middle latitude (47° N to 30° NS) East Atlantic.