Characterization of the Caravelas River Estuary (Bahia) from a Temporal Distributional Analysis of the Foraminifera Microfauna

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal distribution of the foraminifera microfauna of the Caravelas River estuary (Bahia) to determine the different stages of marine influence on this ecosystem. For this purpose, two core samples 60 cm in length were collected at different sites in the estuary. In the laboratory, subsamples were taken from the sediment columns every 2 cm. The samples were subjected to standard analysis for foraminifera. We collected, stored, and identified the first 100 samples to determine the fauna diversity. The data analysis involved calculation of relative abundances, occurrence frequencies, diversity indices, richness, dominance, and confinement. The integrated analysis of the richness and diversity indices for the TCV1A core indicated that the oscillations between the highest and lowest marine influences were not representative to the point of promoting marked events of enrichment and depletion of the fauna at this sampling site. In contrast, analysis of the TCV2A core showed a restricted marine influence during the deposition period of this sediment column, especially since the 1980s. This hypothesis can be confirmed by the richness and diversity values, which show signs of faunal impoverishment in different sections of this core.