Foraminiferal assemblages and organic matter relationships in a coastal lagoon on the arid coast of the Southeast Pacific

The Southeast Pacific arid zone, encompassing Peruvian and Chilean coastal deserts, features several wetlands that are influenced by upwelling waters and provide critical ecosystem services. Despite the significance of wetlands such as the coastal lagoon Poza La Arenilla (PLA) in Lima, Peru, their proximity to urban areas exposes them to eutrophication. This, in turn, presents considerable challenges for conservation efforts. Effective conservation strategies demand a comprehensive assessment of trophic conditions, achieved here by studying living and dead benthic foraminifera assemblages. These microorganisms serve as bioindicators for organic sources and enrichment. We explored their relationships with hydrological factors (dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity) and sedimentary parameters (total organic matter, carbon, nitrogen, stable isotopes) in the PLA. Our results show that foraminifera distribution is influenced by organic matter (OM) from marine phytoplankton/algae and bacterial sources. Foraminifera were dominated by hyaline and soft-walled species, and 4 distinct foraminiferal assemblages were identified. Psammophaga sp1 prevailed in areas with abundant OM, while Bathysiphon sp. was associated with less organic conditions in sandy sediments. Additionally, Quinqueloculina seminulum, Buliminella elegantissima, Ammonia confertitesta, and Bathysiphon sp. were frequent and abundant species in the PLA. Dead assemblages showed a 2-fold increase in species richness compared to living foraminifera, indicating seasonal species turnover. Our study evidenced the importance of the whole diversity of foraminifera for environmental and/or ecological assessments, as groups of soft-walled and agglutinated foraminifera comprise potential bioindicators for eutrophication.