Foraminiferal research in coastal ecosystems of India during the past decade: A review

Abstract

Coastal habitats in India, including estuaries, creeks and bays, have degraded to varying degrees, depending on the fluxes of pollutants and flushing characteristics of the area. Bioindicators can provide consistent evidence for degradation or recovery and have proven particularly useful in monitoring and assessment of coastal ecosystems. This paper examines and reviews recent research on modern foraminifers in coastal ecosystems of India. Most of the studies discuss methodologies employed with respect to sampling devices, sample storage, treatment, faunal analysis and documentation. A major goal of this review is to highlight the results of investigations on recent foraminifera carried out to date, and to identify minimally studied topics and geographic regions to thereby recommend areas for future study of coastal environments of the Indian Subcontinent.