Richness in recent foraminifera from different locations along Venezuelan coastal ecosystems

The total number of recent foraminifera species for Venezuelan marine areas is counted and summarized by major taxonomic groups. Samples from different locations associated with contrasting marine settings were used to review the species richness of the foraminiferal community. Atotal of 930 species were compiled and their synonyms updated. Of this total, 392 species belong to the Rotaliida (42%), 234 to the Miliolida (25%), 155 to the Textulairida (17%), and 79 species to the Lagenida (8%), while the Nodosairida has 18 species (2%), the Spirilinida has 17 (2%), the Polymorphinida has 14 (2%), and the rest belong to the Vaginulinida, Robertinida, Carterinida and Involutinida (12, 6, 2 and 1 species each, respectively). Atotal of 271 species have been identified as endemic to the Venezuelan marine coastal area. This basic diversity analysis of species indicates that the Rotaliida dominate the foraminiferal assemblages along the coast line, followed by the Miliolida and Textulariida, with minor representation of other groups of foraminifera. The distribution of the foraminiferal species, especially benthic, is associated with the different ecoregions and can help serve as indicators for environmental health, marine restoration, and preservation of environmental quality.