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THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF 



FORAMINIFERA IN LONG ISLAND 



SOUND 



By MARTIN A. BUZAS 

 U. S. National Museum 

 Smithsonian Institution 



(With Four Plates) 



INTRODUCTION 



Purpose and Location 



This study is a quantitative survey of the benthonic Foraminifera 

 in Long Island Sound. Its purposes are : 1 , To ascertain the distri- 

 bution and abundance of the living population; 2, to discover any 

 seasonal variation in the living population; 3, to investigate the 

 relationship between particle size of the sediment and foraminiferal 

 distribution and abundance; 4, to ascertain the distribution and 

 abundance of the total (living plus dead) population and compare it 

 with that of the living population ; 5, to attempt to relate the observed 

 foraminiferal distribution and abundance to environmental factors. 



Long Island Sound x is a partially enclosed body of water with an 

 area of about 930 square miles. Its location and configuration are 

 shown in figure 1. In the central portion maximum depths of about 

 40 m. are found about 4 nautical miles from the Long Island shore. 

 At a comparable distance from the Connecticut shore the water is 

 less than 20 m. deep. Mixing with the more oceanic waters of Block 

 Island Sound occurs through the eastern passage. In the narrow 

 western portion a limited amount of exchange takes place with the 

 waters of New York Harbor. 



Acknowledgments 



I wish to thank Dr. K. M. Waage for his valuable advice, encour- 

 agement, and supervision of the study. To Dr. G. A. Riley, who of- 



1 Referred to hereafter as L.I.S. 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS, VOL. 149, NO. 1 



