AN ANALYSIS OF RECENT DEEP-SEA BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL MORPHOTYPES FROM THE NORWEGIAN AND GREENLAND SEAS

Benthic foraminifera from 36 core tops from the Norwegian and Greenland seas have been placed into morphotype categories based on test shape, nature of coiling, and the presence or absence of wall pores. These morphotypes have distinctive patterns with water depth and are related to species-specific microhabitat preferences. The morphotype data are used to reconstruct the water depth distribution of foraminiferal microhabitats in the region. Infaunal morphotypes exist predominantly in shallow-water sediments (< 1250 m) while epifaunal morphotypes are found in sediment samples from deeper water depths (> 1500 m). The morphological patterns documented in this study are similar to those observed on the southwestern continental margin of Norway, demonstrating that these patterns exist over a large part of the Greenland and Norwegian seas.