Tests of larger, symbiont-bearing foraminifera from the lagoon at Madang (Papua New Guinea) have been examined for their total manganese concentrations and the storage site of Mn(II) by means of inductively-coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Total manganese concentration in foraminiferal tests ranges between 24 and 530 ppm. At least part of the Mn is present in its divalent form as shown by EPR. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in conjunction with thermal treatment indicates, that Mn(II) is associated with the organic shell material. Variations in the larger foraminiferan Marginopora vertebralis suggest, that total Mn concentration is not genetically controlled.