Benthic foraminifera are widely known as effective bioindicators of environmental conditions in coastal and marginal marine systems. This study investigates the distribution of foraminiferal assemblages from two types of semi-enclosed embayment systems in Brunei considered here as the Jerudong-Tungku (JT) and Inner Brunei Bay (BB) systems. A total of eighteen (18) surface sediment samples were collected and analyzed for grain size and foraminiferal species composition. Multivariate statistical analyses, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), were applied to evaluate relationships between assemblages and environmental variables. The results show clear differences in both assemblage composition and diversity, which is strongly related to sediment grain size; finer grains occurred in the BB and relatively coarser in JT sites. In terms of assemblage and environment, JT sites are characterized by a stronger marine influence, with higher occurrences of symbiont-bearing taxa such as Amphistegina and Operculina, associated with coarser sediments and mesotrophic conditions. In contrast, BB shows assemblages dominated by opportunistic and stress-tolerant taxa, including Ammonia, reflecting environments that are more variable, brackish, and moderately nutrient-influenced. Abnormalities in foraminiferal tests observed at certain JT sites suggest localized environmental stress and possible groundwater discharge, desiccation and hydrodynamic disturbances. This study highlights the sensitivity of foraminiferal assemblages to environmental gradients, reinforces their usefulness as indicators for coastal monitoring and provides valuable baseline information on foraminiferal diversity and distribution in the coastal regions of Brunei Darussalam.
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