Articles | Volume 45, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-45-415-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-45-415-2026
Research article
 | 
03 Jun 2026
Research article |  | 03 Jun 2026

First report of modern planktonic foraminifera in the southeastern Arabian Gulf, with observations on the morphology and ecology of Neogallitellia vivans (Cushman)

Sinatrya D. Prayudi, Thomas Steuber, and Michael A. Kaminski

Cited articles

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Alve, E.: A common opportunistic foraminiferal species as an indicator of rapidly changing conditions in a range of environments, Estuar. Coast. Shelf S., 57, 501–514, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7714(02)00383-9, 2003. 
Al-Yamani, F. Y., Skryabin, V., and Durvasula, S. R. V.: Suspected ballast water introductions in the Arabian Gulf, Aquat. Ecosyst. Health, 18, 282–289, https://doi.org/10.1080/14634988.2015.1027135, 2015. 
Amao, A. O., Al-Ramadan, K., Kaminski, M., and Frontalini, F.: Benthic foraminiferal diversity in the Arabian Gulf: spatial patterns in a basin-wide assessment, PLoS ONE, 20, e0327033, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327033, 2025. 
Banner, F. T., Pereira, C. P. G., and Desai, D.: “Tretomphaloid” float chambers in the Discorbidae and Cymbaloporidae, J. Foramin. Res., 15, 159–174, https://doi.org/10.2113/gsjfr.15.3.159, 1985. 
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Short summary

Building on historical research, we report the discovery of planktonic foraminifera in sediments offshore Abu Dhabi. Surprisingly, the samples are dominated by Neogallitellia vivans, a rare species typically found in the Indo-Pacific. Our detailed analysis of its shell structure suggests that this tiny organism is uniquely adapted to the extreme salinity of the southern Arabian Gulf. This finding highlights the ability of marine life to thrive in harsh, hypersaline environments.

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