13. Foraminifera

Foraminifera are eukaryotic unicellular microorganisms inhabiting all marine environments. The study of these protists has huge potential implications and benefits. They are good indicators of global change and are also promising indicators of the environmental health of marine ecosystems. Nevertheless, much remains to be learnt about foraminiferal ecology. In this chapter we intend to introduce the main issues in the study of foraminifera in the Mediterranean Sea and the state-of-the-art developments in the study of these organisms. The aims of this chapter are: (1) to provide a brief history of the study of foraminifera and (2) to review recent developments in the study of modern foraminifera, particularly as they apply to Mediterranean faunas. Our intention is to describe the development of the use of foraminiferal assemblages in Mediterranean applied ecological studies up to their possible use as bio-indicator for the monitoring of marine ecosystems.