Resumo

HROMIC M, Tatiana. Recent Benthic Foraminifera from Magellan Strait and Southernmost chilean channels, CIMAR 3 FIORDOS (52° - 56° S). Anales Instituto Patagonia (Chile) [online]. 2011, vol.39, n.2, pp. 17-32. ISSN 0718-686X.  doi: 10.4067/S0718-686X2011000200002.

Results of taxonomic analysis and comunity structure of benthic foraminifers collected during CI-MAR 3 FIORDOS expedition (1997, 1^st. Stage), Comité Oceanográfico Nacional (CONA) were presented. A total of 33 samples of marine sediment from estrecho de Magallanes and southernmost channels and fjords, Chile (52° - 56° S) were analyzed. Abundance, density, species richness, diversity, equity and multivariate analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and MDS o foraminiferal data resulted in the recognition of fve biofacies without a clear geographic distribution patterns. It was studied 22.016 specimens (428 specimens/gram) and classiffeds in 6 suborders, 79 genera and 170 species. The suborder Rotaliina was the most abundant (44 % species and 93,3% specimens). Dominant species are Cibicides dispars (18,8%), Discanomalina vermiculata (10%), Angulogerina angulosa 9%) and Buccella frígida (8%) and the most distributed Nonionoides grateloupi (50% of stations), Angulogerina angulosa (47%), Cassidulinoides parvus (44%) and Quinqueloculina seminula (42%). Similarity percentage analysis showed 10 taxa definiing groups.

Palavras-chave : Magallanes; benthic foraminifera; biodiversity; community structure; CIMAR 3 FIORDOS.