Epifaunal and shallow infaunal foraminiferal communities at three abyssal NE Atlantic sites subject to differing phytodetritus input regimes

Multiple corer samples (0–1 cm sediment layer and overlying phytodetritus) obtained at three northeast Atlantic sites were analysed for Rose Bengal stained benthic foraminifera ( > 63 μm). Strong phytodetrital pulses have been documented at the northern site on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP; 48°50ʹN, 16°30ʹW) but not at the southern sites on the Madeira Abyssal Plain (MAP; 31°N, 20°W) and Cape Verde Abyssal Plain (CVAP; 21°N, 31°W). Foraminiferal densities reflected surface primary productivity estimates fairly closely, being higher at the PAP (mean: 800 per 25.5 cm2 sample area= 314 per 10 cm z) than at the southern sites (mean: 502 per sample =197 per 10 cm Z). In part, this difference was attributable to the presence of a substantial phytodetrital deposit in two of the PAP samples. The phytodetrital aggregates provided organically-enriched microenvironments exploited by dense foraminiferal populations, which accounted for up to 22.4% of the entire foraminiferal fauna. They were of low diversity with a few dominant species (notably the rotaliid Epistominella exigua), a population structure typical of organically enriched systems. Most of the phytodetrital species were much less common in the sediments. The total (i.e. sediment + phytodetritus) populations were highly diverse (123–167 species); but southern site populations were somewhat more diverse than PAP populations, and the two PAP phytodetritus-rich cores had higher dominance values than other samples. Total species assemblages were broadly similar. However, in addition to the phytodetritus-dwelling species, some species of Reophax, Leptohalysis, Lagenammina and “Hyperammina” were more abundant at the PAP site, perhaps benefiting from degraded phytodetritus or from the associated bacterial populations. A few species, e.g. Subreophax aduncus and Lagenammina tubulata, were more abundant at the southern sites.