Measuring ecological quality status in low-diversity Arctic intertidal foraminiferal assemblages using a diversity-based index.

EcoQS assessment of the marine intertidal zone based on its fauna is challenging because the assemblages have a low diversity and consist of stress tolerant species. The new approach we propose is to pool foraminiferal diversity (effective number of species exp(H')) across the whole intertidal zone including the salt marsh and tidal flat. In seven fjordheads studied in northern Fennoscandia, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations indicated low levels of pollution (EcoQS Excellent to Moderate).

Image dataset of common benthic foraminiferal taxa in the North Atlantic seafloor surface sediments (59.5°N transect) between the Labrador sea and Faeroe-Shetland sill.

The article presents a microphotograph dataset of 106 taxa of benthic foraminifera (BF) from surface sediments collected at 26 grab station during RV 51st cruise (summer 2016). The selected stations are located along a 59.5°N transect in the North Atlantic.

Seasonal data on Rose Bengal stained foraminifera in the head of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.

Current 'Atlantification' of the Arctic Ocean affects benthic communities leading to the changes in their structure and abundance. Such areas as Svalbard that are seasonally affected by Atlantic and Arctic water masses may give a possibility to preliminary estimate the response of benthic communities to short-term environmental changes and to evaluate their sensitivity. We have sampled Kongsfjorden for modern benthic foraminifera in three different seasons.

Multiyear data on benthic foraminifera in a glaciated fjord of Svalbard.

Glaciers in the fjords of Svalbard have been receding over last decades. Tempelfjorden, a typical glaciated fjord in West Spitsbergen (78°24'06″ N, 17°02'30″ E), has been sampled in summer 1995 and 2001-2007 for modern benthic foraminifera. We have normalized the abundances and unified the taxonomy of all these published and unpublished data sets and then compiled the record of foraminiferal assemblages changing over years into a comprehensive database.