Nature 332, 70 - 73 (03 March 1988); doi:10.1038/332070a0

A response by benthic Foraminifera to the deposition of phytodetritus in the deep sea

Andrew J. Gooday

Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Deacon Laboratory (NERC), Wormley, Godalming, Surrey GU8 5UB, UK

A recent major discovery has been the rapid sedimentation of phytodetritus to the deep-sea floor^1–3 Although benthic mega-faunal invertebrates appear to seek out this relatively fresh food source^1,4, and its seasonal arrival on the sea floor may synchronize reproduction in some echinoderms⁵, a convincing response by ben-thic organisms to phytodetritus has not been demonstrated³. Here I present evidence that certain small benthic Foraminifera (within the meiofaunal size-range) react dramatically to the presence of phytodetritus. Fresh aggregates of this material harbour abundant, low-diversity populations of these protists. The three commonest species are usually poorly represented in the more diverse assemblages inhabiting the underlying sediment. These findings suggest that some deep-sea benthic Foraminifera, like their shallow-water relatives^6–8, are specialist feeders that bloom opportunistically when the appropriate food (phytodetritus and associated micro-organisms) becomes available, while others remain unaffected by the organic influx.

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