Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Geology

Three sites located on the red sea coast of Egypt are chosen to be investigated namely; Ras Gharib, Safaga and Quseir, from the north to the south, respectively. The study is based upon the detailed examination of foraminifera and ostracoda from the surface sediments of the three sites. Grain size analysis showed that the sand fraction is dominating and constitutes more than 90 % of the total samples of the studied sites. The mud fraction represents the highest ratio in the Quseir samples while coarse sand has the highest values in Ras Gharib site. In this manner, 67 benthic foraminiferal species and 42 ostracoda species have been taxonomically identified and counted in the surface sediments. Using ICP-ES, the heavy metal analyses were done on the sediment samples and some selected tests of foraminiferal species. The heavy metals concentrations in the sediments samples were used to reconstruct geochemical maps for the studied sites. These maps exhibit that Quseir site is the highest toxic metals concentrations then after Safaga and Ras Gharib respectively. The analyzed foraminiferal tests showed their bioselectivity toward some of the heavy metals such as Fe, Mn, Pb, Cu, Cd and Cr

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