SW Baltic Sea

Abstract. The living benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Kiel Fjord (SW Baltic Sea) were investigated in the years 2005 and 2006. The faunal studies were accomplished by geochemical analyses of surface sediments. In general, sed-iment pollution by copper, zinc, tin and lead is assessed as moderate in comparison with levels reported from other ar-eas of the Baltic Sea. However, the inner Kiel Fjord is still exposed to a high load of metals and organic matter due to en-hanced accumulation of fine-grained sediments in conjunc-tion with potential pollution sources as shipyards, harbours and intensive traffic. The results of our survey show that the dominant environmental forcing of benthic foraminifera is nutrients availability coupled with human impact. A com-parison with faunal data from the 1960s reveals apparent changes in species composition and population densities. The stress-tolerant species Ammonia beccarii invaded Kiel Fjord. Ammotium cassis had disappeared that reflects appar-ently the changes in salinity over the last 10 years. These changes in foraminiferal community and a significant in-crease of test abnormalities indicate an intensified environ-mental stress since the 1960s.