Sea-water pH and planktic foraminiferal abundance: Preliminary observations from the western Indian Ocean

摘要

The planktic foraminiferal abundance has been calculated in a set of 28 surface sediment samples collected from the equatorial and southwestern Indian Ocean. In order to understand the influence of changing seawater pH on the planktic foraminiferal abundance, the latter has been compared with average sea-water pH of the top 500 m of the water column, measured in situ. Though water depth shows a marked influence on the planktic foraminiferal abundance, pH also appears to affect the overall abundance of planktic foraminifera. The preliminary results indicate that the planktic foraminiferal abundance is directly proportional to sea-water pH.