The Impact of the Eruptions of the Soufriere Hills Volcano (Montserrat) on the Sea Floor Foraminiferal Biota

• Main Author: Wiggins, Jennifer
• Other Authors: Faculty of Science
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of Plymouth 2006
• Subjects: Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10026.2/302

A census count of the benthic and planktonic foraminifera from the ash fall layer from the eastern side of the island of Montserrat exhibits a similar assemblage composition to that found on top of the Mt. Pinatubo ash fall. Species diversity is low, with a significant dominance of infaunal morphotypes including species of the genus Quinqueloculina, which are regarded as successful recolonizers. Assemblages below the ash layer are dominated by planktonic foraminifera and contain many epifaunal suspension feeding agglutinated and calcareous foraminifera. The 2003 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, caused mass mortality of benthic foraminifera in a vast area of the Caribbean Sea to the east of the island, followed by a recolonization of the ash substrate. Two years after the eruption the foraminiferal community structure is still far from recovery to background levels prior to the eruption. School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences