Deep-sea benthic foraminifera

Collaborators: Helen Neil, Helen Bostock (NIWA, Wellington)

This research strand is designed to document the biodiversity of the modern deep-sea (100-5000 m water depth) foraminifera in the New Zealand EEZ, and to investigate the relationship between their ecologic distributional patterns and environmental factors. These results are intended to be used to improve the resolution of paleodepth and paleoenvironmental determinations of fossil NZ Cenozoic faunas which underpin aspects of sedimentary basin analysis, geological mapping and other earth resource assessment studies. The programme involved systematic study of four regions around NZ (all completed), followed by publication of a synthesis bulletin on their taxonomy and ecology, as a companion to our bulletin on shallow-water New Zealand foraminifera (both published). Present work focuses on filling gaps in areal coverage of the NZ EEZ.

Study areas:
a. East of central New Zealand (Chatham Rise-Bounty Trough). Published, 2001, 2002.
b. West of Taranaki (Tasman Sea). Published, 2003.
c. East of northern New Zealand. Published, 2006.
d. South and south-east of New Zealand (Campbell Plateau). Published, 2006.
e. Recent New Zealand deep-sea benthic foraminifera: Taxonomy, ecologic distribution, and use in paleoenvironmental assessment. Monograph published, 2010.

f. Southwest South Island, northwest North Island, and off North Island east coast (to fill gaps in coverage). Underway, 2011.

Publications

· Hayward, B.W.,Grenfell, H.R., Sabaa A.T., Neil, H.L., Buzas, M.A., 2010: Recent New Zealand deep-water benthic foraminifera: Taxonomy, ecologic distinction, biogeography, and use in paleoenvironmental assessment. GNS Science Monograph 26, 363p. Lower Hutt, New Zealand. [Available for purchase at sponsored price from GNS Scince Publications: sales@gns.cri.nz]

• Hayward, B.W., Grenfell, H.R., Sabaa, A.T., and Neil, H.L., 2007. Factors influencing the distribution of Subantarctic deep-sea benthic foraminifera, Campbell and Bounty Plateaux, New Zealand.   Marine Micropaleontology 62: 141-166.

· Hayward, B.W., Grenfell, H.R.; Sabaa, A.T.; Hayward, C.M.; Neil, H., 2006. Ecologic distribution of benthic foraminifera, offshore north-east New Zealand.  Journal of Foraminiferal Research 36: 332-354.

• Hayward, B.W., 2004. Foraminifera-based estimates of paleobathymetry using Modern Analogue Technique, and the subsidence history of the early Miocene Waitemata Basin. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 47: 749-767
• Hayward, B.W.; Grenfell, H.R.; Sabaa, A.T.; Hayward, J.J., 2003. Recent benthic foraminifera from offshore Taranaki, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 46: 489-518
• Hayward, B.W.; Neil, H.; Carter, R.; Grenfell, H.R.; Hayward, J.J., 2002. Factors influencing the distribution patterns of Recent deep-sea benthic foraminifera, east of New Zealand, South-west Pacific Ocean. Marine Micropaleontology 46: 139-176.
• Hayward, B.W.; Carter, R.; Grenfell, H.R.; Hayward, J.J., 2001. Depth distribution of Recent deep-sea benthic foraminifera east of New Zealand, and their potential for improving paleobathymetric assessments of Neogene microfaunas. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 44: 555-587.