foraminifera
plural noun
fo·ra·mi·nif·era fə-ˌra-mə-ˈni-f(ə-)rə 
ˌfȯr-ə-mə-ˈni-,
ˌfär-
: organisms that are foraminifers
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web On Harbour Island in the Bahamas—one of the most famous beaches pictured here—the pink hue comes from foraminifera, a microscopic organism that actually has a reddish-pink shell, while the sand is a mix of coral, shells, and calcium carbonate. 
Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Jan. 2020 When the foraminifera die, their red shells wash onto the shore and mix with the white sand, giving it a pink tinge. Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2020 Osborne and her colleagues analyzed almost 2,000 fossil shells of a tiny organism known as planktonic foraminifera to create a 100-year history of ocean acidification along the California coast. Denise Chow, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2019 Researchers studied marine animals with shells, known as foraminifera, to determine how a spike in carbon levels increased ocean acidification. Beverly Banks, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2019 The researchers behind the current study, working on board the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, analyzed sediments of deep ocean mud, which contain the shells of long-dead marine organisms called foraminifera. Christopher Mooney, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2018
Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Jan. 2020 When the foraminifera die, their red shells wash onto the shore and mix with the white sand, giving it a pink tinge. Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2020 Osborne and her colleagues analyzed almost 2,000 fossil shells of a tiny organism known as planktonic foraminifera to create a 100-year history of ocean acidification along the California coast. Denise Chow, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2019 Researchers studied marine animals with shells, known as foraminifera, to determine how a spike in carbon levels increased ocean acidification. Beverly Banks, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2019 The researchers behind the current study, working on board the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, analyzed sediments of deep ocean mud, which contain the shells of long-dead marine organisms called foraminifera. Christopher Mooney, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2018 Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin foramin-, foramen + -fera, neuter plural of -fer -fer
First Known Use
circa 1836, in the meaning defined above