Distribution of benthonic foraminifera in Bras d'Or Lakes, Nova Scotia during the summer of 1965

Data on marine benthonic foraminifera were obtained from samples obtained from the Bras d’Or Lakes, Nova Scotia, Canada between June and August of 1965. The bay is an enclosed body of water with an area of 410 square miles. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by three outlets, but only one of these influence the lakes fauna.

Samples were collected from the sediment in water depths from 1.2 metres to 228.6 metres. Salinity and temperature of bottom water was also recorded. Samples were split and filtered. Carbon tetrachloride with the tests in suspension was filtered by a millipore filter and placed in a Millipore Petri dish containing a suction pad that was saturated with tragacanth gum.

Sediments were mixed with alcohol and Rose Bengal for faunal analysis. The samples collected from 1.82m are located in tidal marshes at low tide. The reports foraminifera results are presented in presence only. The report does note that in most samples the species count was below 10, and on rare occasions between 15-20 species. Only species presence is included in this OBIS view. Complete information on sediments in the bay and statistical analysis of samples can be found in the original data report(Vilks,1967).