First record of the species Aubignyna perlucida in Basra marshlands sediments/ southern Iraqi

The research focused on the identification of a newly recorded species in Iraq, particularly in the southern region, through the collection of fifteen samples from seven locations within the Basra Governorate, situated northwest of Al Shafi District. The sediment types of these samples were analyzed, alongside the identification of foraminifera species and their relative abundance in the area under investigation. The grain size analysis of the sediments revealed the presence of four sediment types: mud, clay, sandy silt, and sandy mud, with mud being the predominant type in the region. The identified foraminifera species was Aubignyna perlucida, a benthic foraminifera that inhabits brackish to marine environments.. Its presence in the study area serves as significant environmental evidence of the marine influence on southern Iraq, particularly within the sediments dating back to the Late Holocene epoch