Severity gradient of anthropogenic activities along the Egyptian Western Mediterranean coast, utilizing benthic Foraminifera as bio-indicators

Abstract

Three locations along the western Mediterranean coastal zone of Egypt (Abu Qir Bay, El Max Bay, and Marsa Matrouh), have been exposed to different anthropogenic sources that threatened the benthic ecosystem conditions. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages revealed the environmental changes and highlighted the main factors controlling foraminiferal distribution in the different environments. The assessment of benthic foraminiferal assemblages using quantitative univariate (diversity indices) and multivariate statistical analyses, allied with water quality and sediments geochemical data sets have been verified from a total of 26 surface sediment samples collected along the three locations. Benthic foraminiferal species were abundant in all samples where 51 species, pertaining to 28 genera, have been identified. Abu Qir area reflected a stressful environment with high organic matters and relatively low oxygen levels, followed by El Max Bay. These results revealed that benthic foraminifera favored environments with high organic matter, while benthic ecosystem oxygenation level seems to have a minor impact. The minimum anthropogenic influence over Marsa Matrouh area, compared with the other two sites, was evident from the dominance of sensitive species relative to water quality deviations and narrow pollution tolerance assemblage. Anthropogenic activities along the three selected sites demonstrated a wide range of severity ranging from severe to moderate to insignificant impact over the benthic ecosystem.

Keywords

• Benthic foraminifera
• Abu Qir
• El Max
• Marsa Matrouh
• Ecology of benthic foraminifera