Forams
WHAT is a FORAM ?
Foraminifera are single-celled organisms that have inhabited all types of marine environments for millions of years. Their survival is due in part to their ability to produce a protective outer shell, called a test. A test surrounds and protects them, and is composed of material that ranges from calcium carbonate to sand grains. Forams are categorized by their size and whether they are planktonic or benthic. The abundance, wide distribution, and sensitivity to their environment make these creatures unique and extremely helpful in studies of the oceans.
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Globigerinoides ruber - fossil shell of a planktonic foraminifera.
(Photo courtesy Christa Farmer of Columbia University)
Benthic? Planktonic? Gesundheit!
What's all this about? Go "FORWARD" to find out!
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