Papers by Fabrizio Frontalini
Anuário do Instituto de Geociências - UFRJ , 2017
In the Godineau River Estuary, located in Trinidad Island (off the northeast coast of Venezuela),... more In the Godineau River Estuary, located in Trinidad Island (off the northeast coast of Venezuela), were found 114 taxa of foraminifera and 17 of thecamoebians in the dead fauna. Most of the identified foraminiferal species were rare because they were transported from the Gulf of Paria to this estuary. The autochthonous foraminiferal assemblage was represented by several tropical estuarine species such as Ammonia tepida, Ammotium salsum, Arenoparrella mexicana, Cribroelphidium excavatum, Ammonia parkinsoniana, Haplophragmoides wilberti, Miliammina fusca and Ammotium cassis. The thecamoebians assemblages, found in the inner part of this estuary, were dominated by Cyclopyxis spp., Centropyxis spp., Difflugia corona and Difflugia urceolata. The relative abundance of the main species of foraminifera and thecamoebians were analyzed through Q-mode and R-mode cluster analyses. Statistical results revealed the presence of three different environments in the Godineau River Estuary related to different hydrodynamic conditions and more or less oceanic or fluvial influence. The first sector represents the most confined region of the estuary and was mainly composed by agglutinated foraminifera together with thecamoebians. The second sector was located in the middle part of the estuary and was associated with the presence of brackish waters. The third sector denotes the outermost part of the estuary characterized by the greatest hydrodynamic activity and highest oceanic influence within the estuary. This sector was marked by the occurrence of a large number typical-marine foraminifera species. Resumo No estuário do Godineau localizado na ilha de Trinidad (ao noroeste da costa de Venezuela) foram identificados 114 táxons de foraminíferos e 17 de tecamebas da fauna morta. Muitas das espécies de foraminíferos identificadas são raras e pequenas indicando transporte do Golfo de Paria para dentro do estuário. Os foraminíferos autóctones foram representados por espécies típicas de estuários tropicais como Ammonia tepida, Ammotium salsum, Arenoparrella mexicana, Cribroelphidium excavatum, Ammonia parkinsoniana, Haplophragmoides wilberti, Miliammina fusca e Ammotium cassis. As tecamebas eram abundantes na região mais interna do estuário. As espécies dominantes foram Cyclopyxis spp., Centropyxis spp., Difflugia corona e Difflugia urceolata. A abundância relativa das principais espécies foi analisada através da análise de agrupamento em modo Q e R. As análises estatísticas revelaram a existência de três ambientes distintos no estuário que são relacionados a diferentes condições hidrodinâmicas de maior ou menor influência marinha ou fluvial. O primeiro setor representou a região mais confinada do estuário composta por foraminíferos aglutinantes junto com tecamebas O segundo setor foi localizado na região intermediária do estuário e era tipicamente um ambiente salobro (mixohalino). O terceiro sector, situado na parte mais externa do estuário, estava associado a maior atividade hidrodinâmica e maior influência oceânica, claramente marcada pela ocorrência de espécies de foraminíferos típicas de ambiente marinho.
Foraminifera and thecamoebians assemblages were
analyzed at Caeté River Estuary in order to ident... more Foraminifera and thecamoebians assemblages were
analyzed at Caeté River Estuary in order to identify saline
gradients and intensity of human impacts. In the study area,
29 species of foraminifera typically from intertidal
environments and 11 species of thecamoebians were
identified. The microfaunal assemblages were characterized
by low diversity, averaging 1.9 at the mouth and 0.5 near
Bragança City. These values are common in transitional
coastal environments along de Brazilian Coast. Statistical
analysis, based on the relative abundance of species, did not
reveal the presence of an estuarine gradient, which was
corroborated by the physical and chemical parameters
measured in the field. An increasing of sedimentary fine
fraction and organic matter occurs in the intermediate
region of the estuary, indicating attenuation of the stream
influence. The calcareous foraminifera species were
associated with high salinity, temperature and pH values.
The agglutinated species were associated with muddy
sediment, total organic matter and lower salinity. Four
environmental compartments were identified based on
biotic and abiotic analysis, but they do not represent the
classic estuarine gradient, instead, they represent the
differences in the freshwater supply and mangrove distance.
Foraminiferi e metalli pesanti: implicazioni ambientali
PLOS ONE, 2015
This study investigated the environmental quality of the Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) through an inte... more This study investigated the environmental quality of the Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) through an integrated approach that combined environmental, biogeochemical, and living benthic foraminiferal analyses. Specifically, we analyzed the physicochemical parameters of the water and sediment. The textural, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics of the sediment, including total organic carbon, total nitrogen, simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), acid volatile sulfides (AVS), chlorophyll a, CaCO 3 , and changes in bacterial populations and carbon isotopes were measured. The SEM/AVS values indicated the presence of relatively high concentrations of toxic metals in only some areas. Foraminiferal assemblages were dominated by species such as A. parkinsoniana (20-91%), Bolivina striatula (<40%), Hopkinsina atlantica (<17%), and Bolivina ordinaria (<15%) that cannot be considered typical of impacted coastal lagoons both in Mediterranean and northeast Atlantic regions. The results of this work suggest that Bizerte Lagoon is a unique setting. This lagoon is populated by typical marine species that invaded this ecosystem, attracted not only by the prevailing favorable environmental conditions but also by the abundance and quality of food. The results indicate that the metal pollution found in some areas have a negative impact on the assemblages of foraminifera. At present, however, this negative impact is not highly alarming. 5 / 24 SMGS-sediment mean grain size (μm); CaCO 3 (%); TOC (%), TN-total nitrogen (%); C/N ratio; Chlorophyll a (Chl a; mg/m 3 ); δ13C (‰; VPDB); AVS (μg g -1 ); SEM/AVS ratio.
Benthic foraminifera as a bioindicator of the environmental quality: A case study from the lagoon of Santa Gilla (Cagliari, Italy)
Export Date: 4 December 2012, Source: Scopus
Journal of Environmental Protection, 2012
ABSTRACT Controlled experiments, including mesocosms and laboratory cultures, are used to identif... more ABSTRACT Controlled experiments, including mesocosms and laboratory cultures, are used to identify a potential specific causeeffect relationship that has been previously inferred in field studies. In this study, a series of mesocosm experiments are carried out to assess the ...
Stratigraphy
The upper Aptian to lower Albian interval (~114-109 Ma) represents a crucial period during Earth'... more The upper Aptian to lower Albian interval (~114-109 Ma) represents a crucial period during Earth's history, with a major evolution in the nature of mid-Cretaceous tectonics, sea level, climate, and marine plankton communities. Interestingly, it also includes multiple prominent black shale horizons that are the sedimentary expression of oceanic anoxic event (OAE) 1b. However, due to a set of geological, stratigraphic, and taxonomic challenges, difficulties constraining this OAE may sometimes result in inaccurate correlation.
The coast of the S. Bartolo SCI (Marches, Italy) as a site in a network of Adriatic areas of conservation interest
The Mediterranean Sea is a mid-latitude semi-enclosed basin connected to the Atlantic Ocean and s... more The Mediterranean Sea is a mid-latitude semi-enclosed basin connected to the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by the Mediterranean region. The investigation of the southern part of the Mediterranean Sea is of particular importance as it divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean, where different water masses are encountered. A total of twelve stations were sampled along a ca. 150 m bathymetric transect between the southern tip of Sicily and archipelago of Malta on July, 2013. Physico-chemical parameters of water and sediments were measured in vertical profile and three-replicated sediment samples were collected by box-corer. Total benthic foraminiferal assemblages were studied in order to identify the distribution and biofacies of the most abundant taxa and to relate them to the different water masses. Additionally, the microhabitats of live benthic foraminifera were documented by slicing the core at 0.5 cm intervals from 0 to 1 cm depth...
Geological Quarterly, 2015
Living benthic foraminifera in a relatively unpolluted site offshore Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf,... more Living benthic foraminifera in a relatively unpolluted site offshore Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf, were studied to determine the seasonal variability of their populations, as well as environmental parameters that may affect their distribution. The maximum foraminiferal density was observed during winter with the assemblages primarily dominated by rotaliids and secondarily by miliolids. The high population is attributed to an increased number of juveniles. A relationship between sediment grain size and the foraminiferal density reveals that juveniles were most abundant on coarse-grained sandy substrate and less abundant on fine-grained substrates. In spring, the foraminiferal density decreased, and the lowest values were observed during summer. The population increased again in autumn with highest juvenile/adult ratios. Moreover, results of relative abundance and species consistency show that Ammonia and Glabratellina are consistent from the shallowest to the deepest station, whereas miliolids occurred only at deeper stations. The numbers of peneroplidae and Elphidium also increased along the depth transect. Environmental characterization reveals that although the site is subject to eutrophication caused by nitrates and sulfates, pollution caused by hydrocarbons and heavy metals is not significant. The assessment of 63 heavy metals showed that none of the metals had concentrations that exceed internationally accepted norms [the devised level of Effect Range-Low], but with high concentration of strontium. The lack of a significant environmental effect of heavy metals is confirmed by the Foraminiferal Abnormality Index of <2%. Likewise, no hydrocarbon contamination was detected in the water or sediment samples. We conclude that the site in Bahrain is not yet adversely affected by human development, and therefore can provide baseline information for future comparison and assessment of foraminiferal assemblages in contaminated zones of the Arabian Gulf.
Atlantic Sea Surface Temperatures Estimated from Planktonic Foraminifera Off the Iberian Margin Over the Last 40 Ka BP
Marine Geology, 2015
ABSTRACT Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were reconstructed from planktonic foraminiferal assembl... more ABSTRACT Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were reconstructed from planktonic foraminiferal assemblages in two sediment cores off the NW Iberian Continental Margin for the last 40 kyr. Results of this work were compared with published SSTs estimated in six cores from the Iberian Margin and the δ18O data from NGRIP ice core of Greenland. Longitudinal and latitudinal SST changes were identified in several intervals related to alterations in the hydrographic conditions off the Iberian Peninsula, namely the influence of the upwelling system, the intensity of Paleo-Portugal and Paleo-Azores Currents, and the positions of the Polar and Arctic Fronts.
Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2015
The effects of the human impact on the coastal environments and relative biota can be different a... more The effects of the human impact on the coastal environments and relative biota can be different and even greater than those derived by natural fluctuations. The major disturbance causes in the coastal systems are rivers that may be important sources of nutrients and pollutants, particularly in a semi-closed basin such as the Adriatic Sea. In this context, we investigated the distribution of both meiobenthic and nematode assemblages in the Central Adriatic Sea to evaluate whether and how they are influenced by riverine discharges and which faunal descriptors are the most effective in detecting this type of stress. On the basis of our results, the disturbance effects in the studied area might be caused by both local streams and Po plume, and even if the latter might be considered of lesser extent, it is worthy to note its real impact at a short distance from the coastline. Meiobenthic assemblage structure appears as a good tool for detecting short-term responses of the benthic domain,...
We conducted a survey of living benthic foraminifera in a relatively unpolluted site of Bahrain i... more We conducted a survey of living benthic foraminifera in a relatively unpolluted site of Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf, with the aim of determining the seasonal variability in their populations, as well as various environmental parameters that affect their distribution. The maximum standing crop was observed during winter, with highest population of rotaliids, followed by a peak in miliolids. The highest population is attributed to an increasing number juveniles observed along the depth transect. A strong correlation between sediment grain size and the foraminiferal population indicates that juveniles were most abundant on coarser sandy substrate and less abundant on fine substrate. In spring, the total living population decreased, and lowest values are observed in the summer. The population started to increase again in the autumn with highest juveniles/adult ratios. Moreover, results of relative abundance and species consistency show that Ammonia is found to be consistent from the sha...
Effects of lead pollution on Ammonia parkinsoniana (foraminifera): ultrastructural and microanalytical approaches
European journal of histochemistry : EJH, 2015
The responses of Ammonia parkinsoniana (Foraminifera) exposed to different concentrations of lead... more The responses of Ammonia parkinsoniana (Foraminifera) exposed to different concentrations of lead (Pb) were evaluated at the cytological level. Foraminifera-bearing sediments were placed in mesocosms that were housed in aquaria each with seawater of a different lead concentration. On the basis of transmission electron microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometer analyses, it was possible to recognize numerous morphological differences between untreated (i.e., control) and treated (i.e., lead enrichment) specimens. In particular, higher concentrations of this pollutant led to numerical increase of lipid droplets characterized by a more electron-dense core, proliferation of residual bodies, a thickening of the organic lining, mitochondrial degeneration, autophagosome proliferation and the development of inorganic aggregates. All these cytological modifications might be related to the pollutant-induced stress and some of them su...
Este trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar o estado de contaminação e risco de toxicidade de sediment... more Este trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar o estado de contaminação e risco de toxicidade de sedimentos por metais considerados tóxicos na Laguna de Aveiro (NW Portugal), Foram analisadas 116 amostras de sedimentos de fundo recolhidas ao longo dos seus canais, Os sedimentos foram submetidos a análises granulo métricas, geoquímicas e mineralógicas.
Marine Biodiversity, 2014
Calcareous and agglutinated benthic foraminiferal diversity was investigated in the central North... more Calcareous and agglutinated benthic foraminiferal diversity was investigated in the central Northern Aegean Sea. A total of 18 samples were collected along a neritic to midbathyal transect in Saros Bay at water depths ranging from 15 to 500 m. This study reveals a very highly diversified benthic foraminiferal fauna composed of 267 species belonging to 115 genera. Benthic foraminiferal taxa varied along the depth transect, and it is possible to recognise benthic foraminiferal assemblages typical for different bathymetric ranges. An inner-middle neritic assemblages (ca. <100 m depth), outer neritic assemblages (ca. 100-200 m), and upper bathyal assemblages (200-500 m) are defined. On the basis of the available foraminiferal literature on the Aegean Sea coupled with our data from Saros Bay, a very high number of foraminiferal species is estimated to occur in this basin. A total of 799 species belonging to 276 genera, 93 families and 43 superfamilies have been recorded in the Aegean Sea. These values are remarkably higher than those documented in previous foraminiferal studies carried out in different parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Although the determination of the total foraminiferal diversity in the Mediterranean Sea remains a difficult task, we speculate that this number may be in excess of 1,000.
Acta protozoologica
The benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Lake Varano (southern Italy) have been investigated in d... more The benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Lake Varano (southern Italy) have been investigated in detail. Statistical analyses en-able us to recognize two main biotopes and five sub-biotopes that reflect different ecological and environmental conditions. The assemblag-es mainly seem to be influenced by the hydrological (namely salinity) and sediment conditions in the lake. These biotopes are characterized by specific sub-assemblages and variations in relative species' abundances. The Outer Lake Biotope is affected by marine influence and is dominated by the foraminiferal species: Ammonia beccarii, Ammonia parkinsoniana and Aubignyna perlucida, which are more common in open water environments. In contrast, the Inner-Marginal Lake Biotope reflects more restricted conditions where low salinity values and sand are associated with high numbers of miliolids. These two main biotopes are thus subjected to different degrees of confinement and water residence times, both of which are relate...
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 2014
In this study, the meiofaunal diversity in Lake Varano (southern Italy) is investigated in detail... more In this study, the meiofaunal diversity in Lake Varano (southern Italy) is investigated in detail. Using a statistical approach, these data were coupled with the physicochemical parameters of the bottom water and the sediment characteristics in order to understand the factors influencing meiofaunal biodiversity distribution. The lake is selectively influenced by different factors, namely: organic matter and grain-size, as well as water salinity. Although these assemblages appear to be poorly diversified, the diversity index values are similar to those generally reported in other transitional environments. Relatively higher values of both meiofaunal and benthic foraminiferal diversity were found in front of the Capoiale channel and in the inner part of the lake. The meiofaunal assemblages are mainly dominated by nematodes, copepods, and turbellarians. The benthic foraminiferal assemblages comprise 18 taxa and are mainly represented by calcareous forms, suggesting a relatively low degree of confinement and, consequently, moderately restricted conditions. These assemblages are comparable to the Ammonia assemblages with Haynesina germanica that are characteristic of lagoons along the Mediterranean coasts. On the basis of these findings, coupled with the biotic data, the lake can be regarded as an oligomesotrophic environment.
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Papers by Fabrizio Frontalini
analyzed at Caeté River Estuary in order to identify saline
gradients and intensity of human impacts. In the study area,
29 species of foraminifera typically from intertidal
environments and 11 species of thecamoebians were
identified. The microfaunal assemblages were characterized
by low diversity, averaging 1.9 at the mouth and 0.5 near
Bragança City. These values are common in transitional
coastal environments along de Brazilian Coast. Statistical
analysis, based on the relative abundance of species, did not
reveal the presence of an estuarine gradient, which was
corroborated by the physical and chemical parameters
measured in the field. An increasing of sedimentary fine
fraction and organic matter occurs in the intermediate
region of the estuary, indicating attenuation of the stream
influence. The calcareous foraminifera species were
associated with high salinity, temperature and pH values.
The agglutinated species were associated with muddy
sediment, total organic matter and lower salinity. Four
environmental compartments were identified based on
biotic and abiotic analysis, but they do not represent the
classic estuarine gradient, instead, they represent the
differences in the freshwater supply and mangrove distance.