DISTRIBUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LIVING FORAMINIFERAL ASSEMBLAGES AND TAPHOCOENOSE IN TIANJIN INTERTIDAL ZONE, THE WEST COAST OF BOHAI BAY

57 surface sedimentary samples taken along 8 profiles perpendicular to the coastline in the intertidal zone of Tianjin area were studied for their significance of living and taphocoenose foraminifera assemblages, grain size,and salinity.Also the profiles were leveled and the seawater salinity was measured.Based on these data, the authors studied characteristics of foraminiferal assemblage component, quantity and diversity. The living foraminiferal assemblages in the tidal flat of Tianjin area were divided into 7 zones, while the foraminiferal taphocoenose (living & dead)has shown 5 zones by clustering analysis. The characters and borderlines were different in the living and buried foraminifera except in zones I and IV. The authors discussed the relation between living foraminiferal assemblages and ecological environmental factors(such as salinity of sediments, seawater salinity, tidal level and sediment composition)of the 5 zones,indicated dominant elements for living foraminiferal assembages,probed the relation between foraminiferal taphocoenose and sedimentary environmental parameters such as tidal level, grain size of sediment and modern sedimentation rate,and studied transport and sedimentary process of foraminiferal taphocoenose. Finally, the authors gave the environmental and geological significance from the living foraminiferal assemblages and foraminiferal taphocoenose in Tianjin coastal zones.