INTERTIDAL BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL BIOFACIES ON THE CENTRAL GULF-COAST OF TEXAS - MODERN DISTRIBUTION AND APPLICATION TO SEA-LEVEL RECONSTRUCTION

Six foraminiferal biofacies are defined for three tidal marshes on the central Gulf Coast of Texas. The Aransas River estuary and Port Bay marshes each contain four biofacies which occupy distinct elevational zones. Zonal definition at the Mustang Island marsh is less distinct due to the dominance of one biofacies. Analysis of core samples from the Port Bay marsh site enables reconstruction of Late Holocene sea levels and sedimentation rates. The resulting relative sea level curve contains evidence of a Late Holocene stillstand or highstand and shows that Late Holocene sea level rise continued to the present at this location.