The effect of wave exposure on the foraminifera of Gelidium pristoides

The foraminifera of Gelidium pristoides were examined on exposed and sheltered shores around False Bay, South Africa, during the summer and winter of 1998/1999. Twenty-five species were recognized, seven are potentially new. Multivariate statistics indicated that the assemblages on plants from exposed shores were distinct from those on sheltered shores, and two species of foraminifera were confined to exposed shores. Plant size and the quantity of trapped sediment were positively correlated, and plants on exposed shores were significantly bigger than those on sheltered shores. Plant size and sediment weight were linked to assemblage diversity and abundance; assemblages on exposed shores were generally more diverse and abundant than those of sheltered shores. Different species dominated on the two shore types, and larger foraminifera tended to be more common on exposed shores.