I · 1 ,..

SPECIES COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA AT PANDAN BEACH AND

TROMBOL BEACH, SARAWAK

Nurshuhada Binti Mohd Aris

QL Bachelor of Science with Honours 368 (Aquatic Resource Science .and Management) F6 2014 N974 2014

Species Composition and Distribution of Benthic Foraminifera at Pandan Beach and

Trombol Beach, Sarawak

Nurshuhada Binti Mohd Aris

This report is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor

of Science with Honors

(Aquatic Resource Science and Management)

Aquatic Resource Science and Management

Department of Aquatic Science

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

2014

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that no portion of this dissertation has been submitted in support of an

application for another degree of qualification of this or any other university of institution

of higher learning.

………………………………………………….

NURSHUHADA MOHD ARIS

Aquatic Resource Science and Management Programme

Department of Aquatic Science

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

I

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Alhamdulillah. Thanks to Allah SWT, whom with His willing giving me the opportunity to

complete this Final Year Project. Firstly, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my

supervisor, Dr. Siti Akmar Khadijah Bt. Ab Rahim for her patience, motivation,

experience, knowledge and constructive suggestion from the beginning till the end that

helped me a lot throughout this final year project. Without her dedicated support, guidance

and suggestions, it would be difficult for me to finish this project on time.

Secondly, I would also like to thanks for the helps given by the laboratory assistant, Mr

Richard Toh and Mr. Shafri B. Semawi for the imaginery of the Foraminifera speciemen. I

would also like to thank to my senior’s, Raymie Nur Hassan and Norhakimi Mohamad for

their help during the field sampling.

Deepest thanks and appreciation to my mother, Halimah Bt. Mohamad Yusop, my little

brother, Abdul Halim B. Mohd Aris for their unconditional love, encouragement,

suggestion and full support throughout my study. I would also like to extend my special

thanks to all my family members who have given me support from the beginning.

Next, I would like to thank to Noramira Bt. Mohd Amin, Intan Rohayu Bt. Sukimin and

Ahmad Syahir B. Alias for their helps, support and opinions during and after fieldwork.

Last but not least, I would like to offer my special thanks to my best friends ever, Nadhirah

Bt. Ahmad and Zati Bayani Bt. Ismail for give me the moral support and be with me all the

time. Also thanks to all of my friends and everyone, those have been contributed by

supporting my work and help myself during the final year project progress till it is fully

completed.

II

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

I

Table of Content

II - III

List of Abbreviations

IV

List of Tables and Figures

V - VI

Abstract

1

1.0 Introduction

2-3

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 General characteristics

2.2 Ecology and Distribution of Benthic Foraminifera

2.3 Importance of Benthic Foraminifera

2.4 Related studies in Malaysia

4 – 6

7 – 8

8

8 - 9

3.0 Materials and Methods

3.1 Study Area

3.2 Samples Collection

3.3 In situ porewater physico-chemical parameters

3.4 Benthic Foraminifera species identification and illustration

3.5 Sediment Analysis using dry sieving method

3.6 Data and Satistical Analysis

10

11

12

12

13

13 - 14

4.0 Results

4.1 Species of Benthic Foraminifera

15 – 19

III

4.1.1 Species composition percentage of benthic foraminifera at

Pandan Beach and Trombol Beach

4.1.2 Species composition percentage and distribution of benthic

foraminifera across the intertidal zone of Pandan Beach

4.1.3 Species composition percentage and distribution of benthic

foraminifera across the intertidal zone of at Trombol Beach

4.2 Indices

4.3 Physico-chemical parameters at Pandan Beach and Trombol

Beach

4.3.1 Temperature

4.3.2 Salinity

4.3.3 pH

4.4 Sediment Analysis

4.4.1 Pandan Beach

4.4.2 Trombol Beach

4.5 Correlation analysis between density and their environmental

parameter

20

21 - 22

22 – 23

24 – 25

26

26

27

28

29 – 30

30 – 31

32

5.0 Discussion

5.1 Comparison of benthic foraminifera assemblages at Pandan

Beach and Trombol Beach

5.2 Physico-chemical porewater parameter and sediment fraction

analysis

5.3 Relationship between sediment fraction and benthic

foraminifera assemblages

5.4 Problem faced and limitations

33

33 - 34

34 – 35

35

6.0 Conclusion

36

References

37 - 38

IV

List of Abbreviation

% percentage

°C degree Celcius

µm micrometer

cm centimeter

D’ Margalef Index

g gram

H’ Shannon-Weinner Index

J’ Pielou’s Index

m meter

PSU Practical Salinity Unit

S.E.M Scanning Electron Microscope

V

List of Figures

Figure 1 Benthic foraminifera Test

Figure 2 Principle type of aperture

Figure 3 Principle types of chamber arrangement

Figure 4 Map showing the sampling station at the intertidal zone of Pandan

Beach, Lundu

Figure 5 Map showing sampling station at the intertidal zone of Trombol beach,

Telaga Air

Figure 6 Line transect across the intertidal zone

Figure 7 Drawing images from stereo microscope with 40× magnification

Figure 8 Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images with 150× magnification

Figure 9 The mean (± S.D.) of temperature at Pandan Beach and Trombol Beach

Figure 10 The mean (± S.D.) of salinity values at Pandan Beach and Trombol

Beach

Figure 11 Figure 11: The mean (± S.D.) of pH values at Pandan Beach and

Trombol Beach

Lists of Tables

Table 1 Overall species composition at Pandan Beach and Trombol Beach

Table 2 Species distribution at Pandan Beach and Trombol Beach

Table 3 Species composition percentage at Pandan Beach and Trombol

Beach.

Table 4 Species composition percentage and distribution of benthic

foraminifera across the intertidal zone of Pandan Beach

VI

Table 5 Species composition percentage and distribution of benthic

foraminifera across the intertidal zone of Trombol Beach.

Table 6 The species density, diversity index, evenness index and richness

index

Table 7 Sediment fractions percentage between stations at Pandan Beach

Table 8 Sediment fractions percentage between stations at Trombol Beach

Table 9 Correlation analysis between density of benthic foraminifera and

environmental parameters (sediment fraction) at Pandan Beach and

Trombol Beach.

1

Species Composition and Distribution of Benthic Foraminifera at Pandan Beach and

Trombol Beach, Sarawak

Nurshuhada Binti Mohd Aris

Aquatic Resource Science and Management Programme

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

ABSTRACT

Foraminifera are single-cell protists that can be found abundantly at all marine environment. This group of

organism is widely use as biological indicator for the marine environment and also plays important role in

marine food web. Foraminifera had been reported as the main diet found in the gut of razor clam (Solen

regularis). Pandan beach and Trombol beach were chosen as study sites in order to differentiate the benthic

foraminifera community structure between the non-razor clam habitat and razor clam habitat. Samplings

were carried out on 16 and 18 January 2014. Sediment samples were taken for benthic foraminifera and

sediment particle analyses along line transects placed across the intertidal zone. Simultaneously, the physico-

chemical parameters of water (salinity and pH) and sediment temperature were recorded. The chamber

arrangement and aperture position were used for identifying the species. In this study, a total of 15 species of

benthic foraminifera were found, in which 9 species were recorded at Pandan beach and 13 species at

Trombol beach. This showed that razor clam habitat has more benthic foraminifera species compared to non-

razor clam habitat. Asterorotalia sp. was the most abundant species present at both study sites, while

Textularia sp. was the rare species found in this study. The species diversity at Trombol beach was higher

compared to Pandan beach. Pearson correlation analyses also showed that the distribution of benthic

foraminifera was significantly influenced by the sediment fractions which are fine sand at Pandan beach and

very fine sand at Trombol beach.

Key words: Benthic foraminifera, species composition, distribution, razor clam habitat, sediment fraction

ABSTRAK

Foraminifera adalah protis unisel yang boleh didapati dengan banyaknya di semua persekitaran marin.

Kumpulan organisma ini telah digunakan secara meluas sebagai bioindikator di persekitaran marin dan

juga memainkan peranan yang penting dalam jaringan makanan marin. Foraminifera telah dilaporkan

sebagai diet utama di dalam perut ambal (Solen regularis). Pantai Pandan dan pantai Trombol telah dipilih

sebagai tapak kajian untuk membezakan struktur komuniti foraminifera bentik di antara kawasan bukan

habitat ambal dan habitat ambal. Kerja lapangan telah dijalankan pada 16 dan 18 Januari 2014. Sampel

sedimen telah diambil untuk analisis foraminifera bentik dan partikel sedimen di sepanjang transek garisan

yang diletakkan merentasi zon pasangsurut. Pada masa yang sama, parameter fiziko-kimia air (saliniti dan

pH) dan suhu sedimen turut direkodkan. Susunan ruang dan kedudukan bukaan telah digunakan untuk

identifikasi spesis foraminifera. Dalam kajian ini, sebanyak 15 spesis foraminifera bentik telah ditemui;

yang mana 9 spesis direkodkan di pantai Pandan dan 13 spesis di pantai Trombol. Ini menunjukkan habitat

ambal menpunyai lebih banyak spesis foraminifera bentik berbanding kawasan yang bukan habitat ambal.

Asterorotalia sp. adalah spesis yang paling banyak hadir di kedua-dua tapak kajian, manakala Textularia sp.

adalah spesis yang jarang ditemui dalam kajian ini. Kepelbagaian spesis di pantai Trombol adalah lebih

tinggi berbanding dengan pantai Pandan. Analisis Korelasi Pearson juga menunjukkan taburan

foraminifera bentik dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh jenis sedimen iaitu pasir halus di pantai Pandan dan

pasir yang sangat halus di pantai Trombol.

Kata kunci: Foraminifera bentik, komposisi spesis, taburan, habitat ambal, jenis sedimen

2

1.0 Introduction

Foraminifera are a single-cell protist that has a shell made of calcium carbonate called test

or in the form of agglutinated wall structure, which called as arenaceous and may have a

single chamber or multichambered. Some foraminifera also present in naked forms. These

organisms present in the form of benthic and planktonic species. Most foraminifera are

benthic and inhabits in all marine habitats above the lysocline (Lee, 1990). Different

species can be found at different water depths, habitats and latitudes (Lee, 1990) since they

are sensitive to the changes in water characteristics while their distribution are controlled

by the type of substrate (Murray, 1991).

The study of benthic foraminifera has started since 1731 by Beccarius and the

introduction of the scanning electron microscope in 1960s has raised the ability to illustrate

the morphology of benthic foraminifera (Murray, 2006). According to Saelan (2011), the

studies of benthic foraminifera and taxonomic descriptions more focused at the salt marsh

area of the temperate region rather than the tropical region. In Malaysia, few studies of

benthic foraminifera had done at the mangrove area but lacking in Sarawak. Therefore,

more data on modern (living) benthic foraminifera needed for the reconstruction of benthic

foraminifera at the marine habitats in Malaysia (Saelan, 2011).

Benthic foraminifera is an important food source for organisms at the high trophic

level such as gastropods, scaphopods, nematods, holothurians, achinoids, prawn, and fish

(Murray, 2006). Based on the study of razor clam (Solen regularis) gut content in Sarawak,

foraminifera were reported to be the main diet. (Abidin, 2007). Therefore, it would be

interesting to study the population of benthic foraminifera available in razor clam habitat

and compare with another location where razor clam cannot found.

3

This study was conducted at two intertidal zones, namely Pandan beach (non-razor

habitat) and Trombol beach (razor clam habitat) with the following objectives:

1) to identify the species of benthic foraminifera present at both study sites,

2) to describe and compare the distribution of benthic foraminifera at the intertidal

zone of both study sites, and

3) to investigate the relationship between benthic foraminifera distribution and the

selected in-situ parameters of the study sites.

4

2.0 Literature review

2.1 General Characteristics

Foraminifera are grouped under the Kingdom Protista, Subkingdom Protozoa, Phylum

Sarcomastigophora, Subphylum Sarcodina, and Superclass Rhizopoda and belong to the

Class Granuloreticulosa (Gooday, 1988). Foraminifera are characterised by granular

reticulopods (Lee, 1989), exhibits cytoplasmic organisation and pseudopodial streaming

characteristics of amoeboid organism (Anderson and Lee, 1991). Foraminifera can be

found in two formed that are planktonic and benthic. Planktonic foraminifera are floating

at the euphotic zone of the ocean and widely distributed throughout the open ocean

(Anderson and Lee, 1991). Planktonic foraminifera are divided into two formed that are

spinose and non-spinose (Anderson and Lee, 1991). Benthic foraminifera are meiofaunal

organism that inhabits at the surface of substrate or in the sediments (Murray, 1991). Most

foraminifera are in the form of benthic organism (Lee, 1989). Planktonic and benthic

foraminifera can be distinguished through the morphological features of the species

(Anderson and Lee, 1991).

Figure 1: Benthic foraminifera test

5

Benthic foraminifera have a walled body called test that may have a single or multi-

chambered. Based on Lee (1989), the test may form from three types of matter that is

organic, agglutinated or calcareous matter. Complexes of proteins form organic tests and

mucopolysaccharides that are flexible and the species can change shape rapidly. The

agglutinated tests are made from any small particulates (e.g., sand grains, sponge spicules,

diatoms and etc.) found in the surrounding substrate. For the calcareous test, it can divided

into three structures that are porcelaneous, microgranular and hyaline.

The classification of benthic foraminifera exclusively based on the characteristics of

the test. The characteristics that used for the classification of benthic foraminifera are the

composition and the microstructure of the wall, the chamber arrangement and serial

addition, the characteristics and modification of the aperture and the form of chamber (Lee,

1989). The aperture (Figure 2) is the opening of the test to the exterior environment and

this character is use for classification (Lee, 1989). The shell of benthic foraminifera

(Figure 3) can be internally undivided (unilocular, nonseptate) or it may be composed of

many chamber (multilocular) separated from one another septa (Lee, 1989).

6

Figure 2: Principle type of aperture. 1. Open end tube; 2. Terminal radiate; 3. Terminal slit; 4. Umbilical; 5.

Loop shaped; 6. Interiomarginal; 7. Interiomarginal multiple; 8. Areal crbrate; 9. With Phialine lip; 10. With

Bifid tooth; 11. With umbilicak teeth; 12. With umbilical bulla.

Figure 3: Principle types of chamber arrangement. 1. Single chambered; 2. Uniserial; 3. Biserial; 4. Triserial;

5. Planispiral to biserial; 6. Milioline; 7. Planispiral evolute; 8. Planispiral involute; 9. Streptospiral; 10-11-

12. Trochospiral (10. Dorsal view; 11. Edge view; 12. Ventral view).

7

2.2 Ecology and Distribution of Benthic Foraminifera

Ecology is the study of the factors that influences the composition and distribution of the

species in the environment that can be studied through field viewed, experiment in the

laboratory or by mathematical modelling (Murray, 2006). The distribution and diversity of

benthic foraminifera at certain type of habitats are influenced by abiotic and biotic factors

of the environment (Murray, 1991).

The physical and chemical factors of the environment such as temperature, salinity,

substrate type, turbidity, light, nutrients and oxygen availability may influence the

distribution of the benthic foraminifera (Murray, 1991). Temperature and salinity will limit

the distribution of benthic foraminifera by affecting their reproductive biology and survival

if the level is beyond the threshold level (Murray, 1991). Biotic factors such as food supply

and competition are major factors that influence the distribution of benthic foraminifera at

the environment (Murray, 1991). Competition can be described in two types that are

intraspecific, which is competition between same species and interspecific which is

competition between different types of species (Murray, 2006).

The distribution of benthic foraminifera is characterised by many aspects such as the

relationship with the substrate, the patchiness of benthic foraminifera, the dominance and

diversity and also the population dynamic and production (Sun et al., 2006). According to

Murray (1991), benthic foraminifera prefer to live on firm surface such as shells or rocks,

and on plants, namely seaweed and seagrass while the patchiness of benthic foraminifera

can be divided into three patterns that are random, uniform and clumped. According to

Murray (1991), most of benthic foraminifera are distributed in clumped pattern due to the

role of microenvironments and the needs of reproduction.

Diversity refers to the number of different taxa in an assemblage (Murray, 1991).

The dominance and diversity of benthic foraminifera are determined by using the diversity

8

index (H’), species index (J’) and dominance index (D’). The low diversity assemblages

have high dominance while the higher diversity assemblage has low dominance (Gooday

and Rathburn, 1999). According to Suresh et al. (2002), the population dynamics of

benthic foraminifera are determined by four parameter; birth, death, immigration,

emigration, and the population cannot increase in size indefinitely because it will lead to

competition between the individuals.

2.3 Importance of Benthic Foraminifera

Benthic foraminifera is a good indicator for indicating the condition of the coastal

environment due to their characteristics, which are high preservation potential, high

abundance, and its sensitivity towards any slightly changes in the environmental condition

(Minhat et al., 2012). Murray (2006) also stated that the wide distribution of benthic

foraminifera at both space and geological time and their sensitive response towards the

ecological change make it useful for interpreting the geological records such as

stratigraphy, palaeoecology, palaeoceanography and to monitoring the modern

environments that involving their ecology. According to Lesen (2005), benthic

foraminifera also play an important role in marine food web since it is the most abundant

known protist found in marine habitats. This organism links the low and higher tropic level

and for cycling of organic matter and organic carbon (Lesen, 2005). Lesen (2005) stated

that the population of benthic foraminifera increase with the increasing phytoplankton

bloom.

9

2.4 Related studies in Malaysia

In Malaysia, the studies of benthic foraminifera are focused at the mangrove area and

coastal water. Minhat et al. (2012) reported that that Ammonia sp. shows the highest

frequency occurrence along the coastal water of Penang National Park, Malaysia. Ramlan

et al. (2009) reported that the dominant species found at the seagrass bed at Pulau Tinggi

Johor was Ammonia beccarii. A studied done by Saelan (2011), it stated that more

agglutinated form of benthic foraminifera inhabit at the mangrove area and the distribution

of benthic foraminifera is determine by combination of environmental parameter.

10

2 km

100 m

3.0 Materials and Methods

3.1 Study site

This study was conducted at the intertidal zone of Pandan beach (N 01° 45’ 8.08” E 109°

51’ 7.93”) (Figure 4) on 18 January 2014 and Trombol beach (N 01° 42’ 29.4” E 110° 11’

10.2”) at Telaga Air (Figure 5) on 16 January 2014, Sarawak during the low tides of spring

tides.

Figure 4: Map showing the sampling station at the intertidal zone of Pandan Beach, Lundu

Figure 5: Map showing sampling station at the intertidal zone of Trombol Beach at Telaga Air.

11

3.2 Samples collection

Sediments samples were obtained within 0.25 m2 quadrate that were placed along three

lines transects laid perpendicular to the beach across the intertidal zone (Figure 6). The

distance between the line transects is 100 m while the distance between each quadrate is 50

m. The distance was measured using range finder (Bushnell, Yardage Sport 450). Four

quadrates were placed at Pandan beach while seven quadrates at Trombol beach. Four

replicates of sediment samples (1 for benthic foraminifera analysis and 3 for sediment

analysis) were taken at 1 cm depth (≈ 10 cm2 area) by using a Perspex corer (Horton,

1999). The samples for benthic foraminifera analysis were transferred into a pre-labelled

bottle and preserved with 5 % buffered formalin and stained with Rose Bengal (Murray,

1991). While for the sediment analysis, the sediments were put into the pre-labelled plastic

bags. The samples were brought back to the laboratory for further analysis.

Figure 6: Line transect across intertidal zone

100 m

50 m

Q1

Q2

Q3

Qn

T1 T2 T3

0.5 m

0.5 m

12

3.3 In-situ pore water physico-chemical parameters

The pore water physico-chemical parameters namely temperature (°C) of the sediment, pH

and salinity (PSU) of the pore water were measured using digital thermometer (Traceable),

pH meter (Horiba, s010) and salinometer (Milwaukee, MA887), respectively.

3.4 Benthic foraminifera species identification and illustration

The sediment was wet sieved through 500 µm, 125 µm and 63 µm mesh. Then, the benthic

foraminifera specimens retained by 125 µm mesh were transferred into petri dish. 200

individuals were randomly picked up without considering live or dead. After that, the

samples was sorted according to their morphological characteristics and counted under

stereo microscope, 40× (Raxvision). The biological drawing were drawn for identifying

using the key provided by Leoblich and Tappan (1988), Javaux and Scott (2003), Murray

(2003), World Benthic foraminifera Database (http://www.marinespecies.org/benthic

foraminifera/index.php) and WoRMS (http://www.marinespecies.org/) respectively.

Selected samples were subjected to Scanning Electron Microscope (S.E.M) (Joel, 6390

LA-JSM), 150×, for illustration.

13

3.5 Sediment Analysis using dry sieving method

The three replicates of the sediment samples were dried overnight in an oven (Felisa,

Horno). The dried sediments were weighed, transferred carefully to the sieve series and

agitated using shaker (Endecotts, Minor) for 10 minutes. Then each fraction of 1 mm, 500

µm, 250 µm, 125 µm, 63 µm and pan were weighed again in order to calculate their mass

percentages.

3.6 Data and Statistical Analysis

The species density was calculated using density formula. The radius of Perspex corer was

1.75 cm. The sampling area was then changes from cm2 to m

2.

Perspex sampling area = πr2

The species diversity, species evenness, and species richness of benthic foraminifera

were determined using the Shannon-Weiner Index (H), Pielou’s Index (J) and Margalef

Index (D), respectively.

(a) Shannon-Weiner Index (H’)

∑

Where, n = number of individuals organisms

N = total number of organisms in the sample

14

(b) Pielou’s Index (J’)

Where, H’ = Shannon-Weiner Index

S = number of species

(c) Margalef Index (D)

Where, S = number of species

N = total number of organisms in the samples

Correlation analysis was used to analyse the influence of physico-chemical

parameter and sediment fraction with benthic foraminifera density using SPSS Version

20.0. The p-value of Pearson correlation were compared in order to determine whether the

value have strong, moderate or weaker relationship.

15

4.0 Results

4.1 Species of Benthic foraminifera

In this study, 15 benthic foraminifera species belonging to 12 family, 10 superfamily and

three order have been identified according to their chamber arrangement and also the

location of aperture (Table 1). Figure 7 shows the drawing images of the selected specimen

of each benthic foraminifera species under stereo microscope with 40× magnifications

while Figure 8 shows the S.E.M. micrograph of some selected specimen benthic

foraminifera species. The benthic foraminifera specimen assemblages was based on total

fauna (living+dead) since the living specimen was rare. Pandan beach showed the presence

of nine species of benthic foraminifera while in Trombol beach there were 13 species

present (Table 2). Amphistegina sp. and Melonis sp. only presented at the intertidal of

Pandan beach and not at Trombol beach. Nummulopyrgo sp., Spiroloculina sp.,

Triloculina sp., Cibicides sp., Ammonium sp. and Cancris sp. only presented at the

intertidal of Trombol beach but not present at Pandan beach. Pyrgo sp., Oridorsalis sp.,

Globorotalia sp., Operculina sp., Asterorotalia sp., Elphidium sp. and Textularia sp.

observed at both Pandan beach and Trombol beach.