Pre-Monsoon Living Planktonic Foraminifera from the Southeastern Arabian Sea

Examination of 39 vertical zooplankton hauls from the southeastern Arabian Sea for living planktonic foraminifera showed the presence of 28 species indicating highest diversity during summer of the year 1985. The maximum recorded abundance off Cape Comorin was 3100/1000 m³. while the highest abundance of 1320 specimensl 1000m³was encountered off the coast of Kerala.

Based on the planktonic foraminifera, two assemblages of summer tropical Arabian Sea and summer Arabian Sea upwelling were encountered off Kerala coast and south of Cape Comorin respectively. Foraminiferal diversity observed was quite high in this region. The standing crop of planktonic foraminifera encountered was highest off Cape Comorin coast.