North Adriatic Foraminifera Collection (NAdFC)

Study Extent

The NAdFC sediment samples were collected on board of the research vassel G. Dallaporta during the research cruise InterNos 2019 (21-28 February 2019, Bastianini et al, 2019) and during the ordinary maintenance activities of S1-GB and E1 autonomous meteo-oceanographic systems conducted since 2016 and includes a depth transect cantered on S1-GB (depth ranging between 10,5 and 30 m). Foraminifera and sediment samples as well as sedimentological, hydrological, chemical and biological data acquired at the sea-bottom and along the water column were collected and stored by the National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR). The main objective of these sampling activities and oceanographic measurements is to monitoring biotic response and ecosystem variability in the crucial North Adriatic area which is known to be strongly impacted by anthropic activities, climatic and environmental changes.

Sampling

About 30 cm3 of sediments samples of the box corer were collected with a tube of 8 cm in diameter from the interval 0-1 cm of the seafloor for the foraminiferal analyses, and treated following the FOBIMO protocol (Schönfeld et al., 2012), to facilitate distinguishing living from dead foraminiferal tests.

Method steps

1. Benthic foraminiferal specimens were picked from sediment fraction >63μm of each sample, were identified, counted and mounted on cardboard microslides and are stored at the National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR) in Bologna (Italy). The >63 μm size fraction was selected to obtain information on small-sized species (e.g., Schröder et al., 1988; Duchemin et al., 2007). Identification at the genus level was made according to the most used taxonomical study on foraminiferal genera (Loeblich and Tappan, 1987), while species were determined according to some important studies on the Mediterranean area (e.g., Barmawidjaja et al., 1992; Cimerman and Langer, 1991; Jorissen, 1987, 1988; Capotondi et al., 2019) and to the World Modern Foraminifera Database (Hayward et al., 2011). All the micropaleontological slide were photographed using a Nikon D700 full frame equipped with a Micro Nikkor 55mm F:3.5 lens. The image dataset of benthic foraminifera was acquired from living and dead foraminiferal specimens. Benthic foraminiferal tests were examined and photographed using an optical stereomicroscope (model Zeiss SteREO Discovery V.8). Optical images were acquired with a 16x Ocular, S1.0x Objective Plan, and processed via the microscope imaging software Zen Lite (v. 2012 SP1 black edition, 64 bit).

1. Reophacidae
   rank: family
2. Monothalamea
   rank: class
3. Lituoloidea
   rank: family
4. Rosalinidae
   rank: family
5. Vaginulinidae
   rank: family
6. Reaphacidae
   rank: family
7. Melonidae
   rank: family
8. Buliminidae
   rank: family
9. Globothalamea
   rank: class
10. Gavelinellidae
    rank: family
11. Bolivinitidae
    rank: family
12. Stainforthiidae
    rank: family
13. Animalia
    rank: kingdom
14. Elphidiidae
    rank: family
15. Buliminellidae
    rank: family
16. Tubothalamea
    rank: class
17. Cibicididae
    rank: family
18. Haynesinidae
    rank: family
19. Virgulinellidae
    rank: family
20. Asterigerinatidae
    rank: family
21. Textulariidae
    rank: family
22. Globobuliminidae
    rank: family
23. Ellipsolagenidae
    rank: family
24. Rotaliida
    rank: order
25. Lagenidae
    rank: family
26. Pseudoparrellidae
    rank: family
27. Globothalamea 
    rank: class
28. Prolixoplectidae
    rank: family
29. Vaginulinida
    rank: order
30. Ammoniidae
    rank: family
31. Siphogenerinoididae
    rank: family
32. Polymorphinida
    rank: order
33. Pulleniidae
    rank: family
34. Trochamminidae
    rank: family
35. Nodosarioidea
    rank: family
36. Pseudoparellidae
    rank: family
37. Spiroplectamminidae
    rank: family
38. Cancrisidae
    rank: family
39. Ammosphaeroidinidae
    rank: family
40. Spiroloculinidae
    rank: family
41. Nodosariida
    rank: order
42. Uvigerinidae
    rank: family
43. Saccamminidae
    rank: family
44. Nodosariata
    rank: class
45. Foraminifera
    rank: phylum
46. Notorotaliidae
    rank: family
47. Cassidulinidae
    rank: family
48. Textulariida
    rank: order
49. Hauerinidae
    rank: family
50. Astrorhizida
    rank: order
51. Cribrolinoididae
    rank: family
52. Miliolida
    rank: order
53. Lituolida
    rank: order
54. Nonionidae
    rank: family

Adriatic Sea