Impact of pollution on coastal zone monitoring with benthic foraminifera of Tuticorin, south east coast of India

Abstract

Magnitude of corrosive effect, lower than normal ornamentation sutural thickenings, pores enlargement and widening of apertures in foraminifera were taken as indices of pollution impact on the coastal zone of Tuticorin. Pollution causes reduced diversity with a decrease in foraminiferal population. More over, there is a reduction in size followed by test wall thickening in Ammonia and Florilus and dispersal and dilution of the pollutants resulting faunal abundances. The effluents effect presents morphological anomalies like erosion along peripheries, abnormal growth of the end chambers inferred dissolution and consequent destruction of small thin walled biota.