Fifty-two surface samples collected from a depth range between 15 and 3300 m from the Vijaydurg-Karwar sector off the central west coast of India were analyzed for benthic foraminifera. A total of 386 benthic foraminifera were identified to species level. The relative abundances of 21 major genera (>5% in at least two stations) were plotted on a distribution map as well as on a kite diagram. Most of the genera show correlation to water depth in the study area. For better understanding and to draw meaningful conclusions from the assemblages out of the surface distribution of major genera, Q-mode cluster analysis was performed with the total number of species as variables. The clusters (namely A & B) and their subclusters (namely B₁, B₂ & B₃) also exhibit a preference to water depth. Considering the position of the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) in this region extends from 150 to 1500 m water depth, it was noticed that the stations in smaller subcluster within cluster B₃ fall below the OMZ, while most of the stations in cluster B₂ fall above the OMZ. From the cluster analysis, the major benthic foraminiferal species from within the OMZ are identified as Bolivina silvestrina, Bulimina marginata, Globocassidulina oriangulata and Melonis pompilioides. Hence, cluster analysis based on the benthic foraminiferal assemblage is useful to detect the position of the OMZ in the study area.

分析了印度中西部沿海维杰杜格-卡尔瓦尔地区15至3300 m深度范围内收集的52个地表样品的底栖有孔虫。总共鉴定了386个底栖有孔虫。在分布图和风筝图上绘制了21个主要属的相对丰度（至少两个站> 5％）。大多数属显示与研究区域的水深相关。为了更好地理解和从主要属的表面分布中的组合中得出有意义的结论，以物种总数作为变量进行了Q型聚类分析。集群（即A和B）及其子集群（即B ₁，B ₂和B _3））也表现出对水深的偏爱。考虑到该区域的氧气最小区域（OMZ）的位置从150到1500 m的水深延伸，应注意的是，群集B ₃中较小的子群集中的站位于OMZ以下，而群集B _2中的大多数站低于OMZ。从聚类分析中，OMZ内主要的底栖有孔虫物种被鉴定为Bolivina silvestrina，Bulimina marginata，globocassidulina oriangulata和Melonis pompilioides。因此，基于底栖有孔虫组合的聚类分析可用于检测OMZ在研究区域中的位置。