Environmental Significance of the First Appearance of Porosononion martkobi in Southern Iraq Sediments

The study aimed to identify a new species that was observed for the first time in Iraq, particularly in the southern region of it, where the recent sediments from the late Holocene period are located in the north of Basrah Governorate. Eighteen samples were collected from nine sites north of Basrah Governorate (Qaryat Nasr). The texture of recent sediments for these samples was determined. As well as the diagnosis of the foraminifera species and the relative abundance of the species in the study area. The results of the grain size analysis of the studied sites' sediments showed that the study area contains five types of sediment texture: clay, sandy silt, sandy clay, mud, and sandy mud. Clay sediment is the most common type in the sediments of the region. As for the species of foraminifera that was identified, it was represented by Porosononion martkopi. It is one of the benthic foraminifera species that live in marine environments, so its appearance in the study area was clear environmental evidence of the exposure of southern Iraq to marine influence, which was identified in this study within the sediments of the Late Holocene period. The species Porosononion martkopi also showed high relative abundance where the sediments were of fine grain size, that is, the sedimentary ecosystem was quiet, which in turn provided an environment in which the species thrived.