Benthic foraminiferal assemblages and environmental drivers along the Kveithola Trough (NW Barents Sea).

We describe the population density, biodiversity and vertical distribution in the sediment of benthic foraminifera,and their relationship to environmental parameters, in the Kveithola Trough (NW Barents Sea). Twostaining methods, Cell Tracker Green (CTG) and Rose Bengal (RB), were used to distinguish between living anddead tests. CTG proved to be more effective than RB, and we therefore used this approach to document faunalassemblage variability along a transect of the Trough. The outer shelf shows a diverse benthic foraminiferalassemblage suggesting an oxygenated and oligotrophic environment. The central part appears to be a disturbedarea due to rapid circulation changes and organic matter burial in sediments where opportunistic foraminiferacolonize only the first centimetres. In contrast, the inner part of the Trough seems to be a stressed environmentwhere species associated with organic-rich sediment and oxygen-depleted environments dominate the livingassemblage. At all sites, delicate monothalamids species form part of the assemblage. The peculiar geomorphologicaland environmental conditions of this area, and the high regional primary and secondary production,are key drivers of foraminiferal assemblage distribution.