Symbiont bearing foraminifera from inner shelf area of Great Nicobar Island, Andaman Sea: Coral retrieval

Present study is an attempt to use algal symbiont bearing foraminifera as tool to monitor the coral ecology. Inner shelf area of Great Nicobar Islands have maximum abundance of symbiont bearing foraminifera, mainly Amphistegina lessonii, calcarina hispida, Baculogypsinoides spinosus, Heterostegina depressa, Planoperculina heterosteginoides, Operculina ammonoides, Cycloclypeus carpenteri, Planostegina operculinoides, Discorbis sp., and Sorites sp. Dominance of these different genera in the samples depicts congenial environment for reef ecology. Present study from inner shelf area shows maximum diversity of corals and symbiont bearing foraminifera, implies faunal retrieval and congenial environment for coral reefs.