Benthic foraminiferal assemblages as potential ecological proxies for environmental monitoring in coastal sediment of the Port Klang, Selangor

This study represents the benthic foraminiferal assemblages, distribution and its composition along the coastal water of Port Klang, Malaysia. A total of 60 samples were collected bimonthly between Jun 2013 and July 2013 at four sites (i.e. West Port, North Port, South Port, Telok Gong and Klang River). There were 20 genera of foraminifera identified from this study sites namely: Acupeina, Ammobaculites, Ammonia, Ammotium, Arenoparella, Asterorotalia, Bolivina, Cibicides,Discorbis, Elphidium, Haplophragmoides, Haynesina, Lagena, Miliammina, Nonion, Pseudorotalia, Quinqueloculina, Spiroloculina, Textularia and Trochammina. The foraminiferal assemblages at West Port was low in diversity (H’=0.58)compared to other sites and low in abundance (804 individuals). Stress tolerant taxa, Ammonia (317 individuals) dominated the distribution in West Port. However, in North Port, high foraminifera diversity (H’=0.67) was noted compared to West Port but lower than Telok Gong and Klang river. Foraminifera at North Port very low in abundance (213 individuals). High Ammonia-Elphidium Index (AEI) value (95) and low FORAM Index (FI=1.04) recorded at South Port indicating the sediments impacted by anthropogenic stressor and therefore the sediments were in hypoxic condition. Higher FORAM Index (F1=2.34) at North Port indicated less human induced activities in the area. There were high density of foraminifera (8918 individuals) and high AEI index value (83) with high Foram Index (F1=1.11) at Telok Gong compared to other sites except North Port. The same results were recorded at Klang River locations which covered 15 sampling stations with high abundance of Ammonia spp indicating disturbed environments. Lower abundance of Elphidium spp in contrast to Ammonia spp suggests that the sediments in all the sampling sites are in hypoxic condition and less oxygen concentrations.