Evolution of El Hisha Lagoon (South-Eastern Tunisia, Gulf of Gabès) Through the Analysis of Ostracods and Benthic Foraminifera Assemblages

Abstract

A 80 cm-long sediment core was taken from the El Hisha lagoon in the southestren coast of Tunisia. The sediments were deposited in a shallow marine lagoonal environment that was confirmed by the dominance of lagoonal assemblages associeted to coastal marine microfauna assemblages, evolving toward the closing. The settlement of the restricted lagoonal environments is linked to the building-up of sandy spit. Later, This lagoonal sedimentation was interrupted by high-energy events, causing the breakthrough of the sandy spit, corroborated by the presence of planktonic foraminifera with benthic microfauna.