Recent benthic foraminifera and their distribution in surface sediments were studied on a transect through the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) between 10 and 12°S. The OMZ with its steep gradients of oxygen concentrations allows to determine the oxygen-dependent changes of species compositions in a relatively small area. Our results from sediments of thirteen multicorer stations from 79 to 823 m water depth demonstrate that calcareous species, especially bolivinids dominate the assemblages throughout the OMZ. The depth distribution of several species matches distinct ranges of bottom water oxygen levels. The distribution pattern inferred a proxy which allows to estimate dissolved oxygen concentrations for reconstructing oxygen levels in the geological past.

Supplement to: Mallon, Jürgen; Glock, Nicolaas; Schönfeld, Joachim (2011): The response of benthic foraminifera to low-oxygen conditions of the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone. In: Anoxia: Paleontological Strategies and Evidence for Eucaryotic Survival. Cellular Origins, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, Cole Book Series, Springer Publisher, 21, 305-321