Journal articles on the topic 'Meiofauna'
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1
Parent, Serge, and Antoine Morin. "Role of copepod-dominated meiofauna in the nitrification process of a cold marine mesocosm." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 56, no. 9 (September 1, 1999): 1639–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f99-096.
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Large populations of copepod-dominated meiofauna are found in the sand filters of the St. Lawrence marine mesocosm at the Montreal Biodome. Experiments were conducted in heterotrophic microcosms to quantify how populations of micro- and meiofaunal organisms affect ammonia oxidation (nitrition) and nitrite oxidation (nitration) using apparent nitrition rate (ANiR) and apparent nitration rate (ANaR) as proxies. ANiR and ANaR were not related to ciliate density. Meiofauna had no effect on ANiR, but a significant relationship between ANaR and meiofaunal biomass was observed, which varied with the particulate organic nitrogen (PON) content of the sediment. The relationship was negative at low PON and positive at high PON. These results suggest a direct negative action by predation on nitrifying bacteria and an indirect positive action by reducing competitors through grazing of heterotroph bacteria. The negative effect of 1 g meiofauna·m-2 at low PON (-20% of ANaR0, i.e., ANaR without meiofauna) is much smaller than its positive effect at high PON (+172 to +571% of ANaR0). Copepod-dominated meiofaunal biomasses less than 0.16 g·m-2 increase two to five times the nitrification rate in heterotrophic habitats rich in PON.
2
Dražina, Tvrtko, Maria Špoljar, Biserka Primc, and Ivan Habdija. "Distribution of rotifers and other meiofauna in the bryophytes and hyporheic zone of a karst hydrosystem – an example of a nested community." Marine and Freshwater Research 68, no. 1 (2017): 43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14291.
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The meiofauna assemblages inhabiting the bryophyte-covered tufa barriers were investigated in the barrage system of Plitvice Lakes (Croatia). The main aims of the present study were: (1) to analyse the structure of the rotifer community and other meiofaunal communities in the bryophytes and the hyporheic tufa zone; and (2) to determine the influence of food sources on the meiofauna. Our results indicate that meiofauna were a constant and abundant component in bryophytes and tufa. Of the nine identified groups (Catenulida, Gastrotricha, Nematoda, Rotifera, Hydrachnidia, Oligochaeta, Copepoda, Tardigrada and Chironomidae (Diptera)), rotifers (50%) and nematodes (40%) were most abundant. Rotifers were the most diverse meiofaunal group and reached their highest numbers within the bryophytes. Also, the highest amount of ultrafine particulate organic matter, as a potential food source for rotifers, was recorded in this layer. Nematodes were the dominant meiofaunal group in deeper tufa layers. They are an omnivorous trophic group and different food sources (such as phytal remains or other meiofauna) were available in tufa layers. Meiofaunal assemblages were significantly nested and their composition was under the influence of community established in surface bryophyte mats. Information on these often overlooked faunal groups is essential for estimates of overall abundance, species richness and productivity in freshwater ecosystems.
3
Parent, Serge, and Antoine Morin. "The role of copepod-dominated meiofauna in the mineralization of organic matter in a cold marine mesocosm." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 56, no. 10 (October 1, 1999): 1938–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f99-160.
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Large populations of meiofauna are found in the sand filters of the St. Lawrence mesocosm at the Montreal Biodome. Three 30-day experiments were conducted in heterotrophic microcosms to quantify how populations of micro- and meio-faunal organisms affect mineralization using the apparent mineralization rate (AMR), i.e., nitrate production, as a proxy. Tryptone, mesocosm detritus, and fishmeal were used as organic substrates (C:N ratios 4-8). Harpacticoid copepods dominated the meiofauna in numbers (87%) and biomass (90%). AMR was inversely related to meiofaunal mass and not related to ciliate density. Through grazing, 1 g meiofaunal dry mass·m-2 reduced the AMR of tryptone by 42%, of detritus by 9.4%, and of fishmeal by 2.7%. Particle size affected the effect of meiofauna, whereas the C:N ratio affected the AMR. The scarcity of nematodes, which are known to stimulate mineralization, may explain these results. Copepod-dominated meiofauna decrease nutrient regeneration rates in heterotrophic habitats when C:N ratios are low.
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Alfurjani, Hajir O. A., Sayed M. Ali, Hamad M. A. Hasan, and Ramadan A. S. Ali. "Some Traits of Meiofauna in the Surf Region of the Southern Mediterranean Sea Coast." International Journal of Environment and Pollution Research 10, no. 3 (March 15, 2022): 12–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.37745/ijepr.13/vol10n31228.
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During the winter and summer of 2019, eight study sites in eastern Libya were used to establish meiofauna diversity in the Southern Mediterranean Sea's near-shore sandy bottom surf region. The physicochemical characteristics of surface water at the study sites were mostly similar. Seventeen taxa of floatable meiofauna (extracted from sediment samples by floatation) were identified, sixteen during winter and ten during summer: By number of individuals per taxon, Nematoda and Foraminifera were the most abundant taxa. The other available taxa were Rhabdocoela, Xanacoelomorpha, Gastrotrichs, Polychaeta, Kinorhyncha, and Urodasys. Four non-floatable meiofauna taxa were encountered (Foraminifera, Mussel, Gastropod, and Ostracoda). This low diversity of floatable and non-floatable meiofauna was possibly due to the strong wave action prevailing in the region and the adjacent deleterious anthropogenic activities. Meiofaunal diversity was higher in winter than in summer, possibly due to the higher dissolved phosphorus concentration during this season. The causes of the between-site differences in meiofaunal diversity are unclear, but differences in adjacent coastal anthropogenic activities might had more impact than differences in the prevailing physicochemical traits of the interstitial habitat. New practical techniques for collecting and identifying the smaller meiofauna are needed.
5
Gaudes, Ainhoa, Joan Artigas, and Isabel Muñoz. "Species traits and resilience of meiofauna to floods and drought in a Mediterranean stream." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 11 (2010): 1336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf10044.
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In Mediterranean streams, droughts and floods are mainly seasonal and predictable, occurring twice or three times a year. Under these conditions, multivoltinism and short life-cycles would be favoured, particularly for organisms with low migratory capacity. The meiofaunal community is therefore hypothesised to have species traits adapted to these hydrological perturbations. However, meiofauna have been neglected in many lotic studies. The present study examined the temporal variability of meiofaunal density and biomass over a 2-year period in three reaches of a low-order Mediterranean stream. Relationships between biological traits and hydrological and environmental characteristics were investigated. Resilience of meiofauna to floods was quantified using regression. Small differences in basin drainage resulted in different responses. The abundance and resilience of the meiofauna were higher in the upstream reach than those in the downstream communities. A small, worm-shaped body and active locomotor structures conferred higher resilience in the face of natural hydrological disturbances. Low-order reaches are refugia for functionally important meiofauna that can eventually repopulate downstream reaches.
6
Kang, Teawook, Won-Gi Min, Hyun Soo Rho, Heung-Sik Park, and Dongsung Kim. "Differential responses of a benthic meiofaunal community to an artificial oil spill in the intertidal zone." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 94, no. 2 (November 29, 2013): 219–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315413001501.
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This study aimed to determine the potential impact of an oil spill on intertidal meiofauna at a clean, sandy beach in Korea. This objective was accomplished by examining changes in the structure of meiofaunal assemblages after a controlled oil spill of different concentrations on the beach. The concentration of total petroleum hydrocabon (TPH) in the experimental plots after oil application was expectedly higher for the first 4 d compared to before oil application. The TPH concentrations decreased at a faster rate in the first 4 d, and then progressively. The sharp decline in meiofaunal density in the experimental plots during the first 4 d after the spill might be attributed to the short-term toxic effects of the oil. This suggestion is supported by a significant negative interaction of the TPH on meiofaunal density during the study period. The period of low density of meiofauna also coincided with the maximum concentration of TPH in the sediment. The multivariate indices proved to be highly efficient, showing that samples contaminated with oil had high TPH concentrations, and were partially separated in terms of meiofaunal communities from samples before oil application or samples with low TPH concentrations. The structure of the meiofaunal communities in the experimental plots was similar before and 1 month after oil application. However, the density of meiofauna sharply decreased immediately after oil application in the experiment plots. Furthermore, the meiofaunal density recovered slowly as time passed.
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Danovaro, Roberto, Antonio Pusceddu, Simone Mirto, and Mauro Fabiano. "Meiofaunal assemblages associated with scallop beds (Adamussium colbecki) in the coastal sediments of Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica)." Antarctic Science 11, no. 4 (December 1999): 415–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102099000528.
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Meiofaunal community structure in coastal sediments of Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) was related to quantity and biochemical composition of sedimentary organic matter. The sediments were generally characterized by large amounts of chloropigments and labile compounds (dominated by proteins), indicating high inputs of primary organic matter. Meiofaunal densities were very high and comparable to those from the most productive areas worldwide. Sediments with high densities of the scallop had low meiofaunal densities especially in the top 2 cm, suggesting that scallop clapping contributed to meiofauna resuspension. However, it is not possible to exclude the probability that meiofauna are part of the scallop beds apparently have an important role in structuring meiofaunal communities with nematodes dominant where Adamussium colbecki is absent, and gastrotrichs dominant (44–51%) in A. colbecki beds, reaching the highest density reported so far.
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Punniyamoorthy, Rengasamy, Perumal Murugesan, Gopalan Mahadevan, and Alberto Sanchez. "Benthic Meiofaunal Diversity in Four Zones of Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, India." Journal of Foraminiferal Research 51, no. 4 (October 29, 2021): 294–307. http://dx.doi.org/10.2113/gsjfr.51.4.294.
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ABSTRACT The community structure of meiofauna was assessed relative to environmental parameters in four zones (non-mangrove, Avicennia zone, mixed zone, and Rhizophora zone) of Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, which is located along the southeast coast of India. Field sampling was carried out from June 2016–May 2017. The meiofaunal data were evaluated using univariate and multivariate statistics. The highest abundance of meiofauna (434 ind/10 cm−2) was recorded in the Rhizophora zone and the lowest (270 ind/10 cm−2) in the non-mangrove zone. A total of 62 species representing four meiofaunal groups were recorded, including 38 species of foraminifera, 12 species of nematodes, seven species of ostracods, and five species of harpacticoids. Diversity (Shannon H′) mostly ranged from 3–4, and was highest (3.86±0.26) in the Avicennia zone and averaged ∼3.3 in the other three zones. The Margalef richness index was ∼6 in the Avicennia and Rhizophora zones and ∼5 in the non-mangrove and mixed zones. The BIO-ENV and CCA analyses identified sediment texture and organic matter as key variables influencing the distribution of meiofauna, while % calcium carbonate, salinity, and sediment pH were also important. Monitoring studies of meiofaunal taxa may help elucidate their roles in coastal blue-carbon cycling and will also contribute to understanding how mangrove-associated habitats influence meiofaunal distributions.
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Harguinteguy, Carlos A., M. Noelia Cofré, and Catalina T. Pastor de Ward. "Change in the meiofauna community structure of sandy beaches of the Nuevo Gulf (Chubut, Argentina)." Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 52, no. 34 (2012): 411–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0031-10492012021400001.
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The composition and distribution of the benthic meiofauna assemblages of the Nuevo Gulf (Chubut, Argentina) are described in relation to abiotic variables. The meiofauna and sediment samples were collected in the intertidal zone of four sandy beaches with different anthropic disturbances in June 2005. The samples were obtained at 20 sampling sites using a 2.5 cm diameter core tube at a depth of 10 cm. A total of 13 meiofauna taxa were identified, with the meiofauna being primarily represented by nematodes, gastrotrichs, ciliates and polychaetes and the meiofauna abundances ranging from 1.5 × 10³ to 6.5 × 10³ ind. 10 cm‑2. Univariate (one-way ANOVA test) and multivariate (ANOSIM/MDS test) analyses showed clear dissimilarities in community structures between sites with anthropic effects and those in pristine condition, revealed by the significant differences were found between beaches near to and far way from a city with port activity. The meiofaunal assemblage varied in abundance and diversity, and these changes in the community structure may have been related to environmental gradients on the shore. The BIO‑ENV analysis showed that the redox potential discontinuity depth might be the main factor in the spatial distribution of organisms.
10
Thai, Tran Thanh, Nguyen Thi My Yen, Nguyen Tho, and Ngo Xuan Quang. "MEIOFAUNA IN THE MANGROVE – SHRIMP FARMS PONDS, CA MAU PROVINCE." Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology 55, no. 3 (June 16, 2017): 271. http://dx.doi.org/10.15625/2525-2518/55/3/8410.
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Meiofaunal communities in the mangrove – shrimp farms system (MSFS) of Ca Mau province was investigated in 8 ponds (Tam Giang Commune, Nam Can District). Results showed that the meiofauna, especially nematodes at the Tam Giang’s MSFS in Ca Mau mangrove express high densities and biodiversity and nematodes dominate numerically in the mangrove meiofauna (73.69 to 96.2 %). In total, 15 major taxa were found with the dominant taxa belonged to three dominant groups: Nematodes, Copepoda, and Rotifera. The densities of meiofauna ranged from 287 ± 132.9 to 3129 ± 1388.6 inds.10 cm-2. Seventy fifth nematode genera belonging to 24 families with the most important typifying genera were Terschellingia, Daptonema, Parodontophora, Ptycholaimellus, Sabatieria, Hopperia, Anoplostoma, Pseudolella, Gomphionema. The mangrove – shrimp farms system in the study area was characterized by homogeneity and stabilization.
11
Rosa, Leonardo Cruz, and Carlos Emilio Bemvenuti. "Effects of the burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulata (Dana) on meiofauna of estuarine intertidal habitats of Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil." Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 48, no. 2 (March 2005): 267–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1516-89132005000200014.
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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulata on meiofauna at three intertidal habitats across a tidal exposure gradient (i.e., an emerged salt marsh, an emerged mudflat and a submerged mudflat) in an estuarine embayment of Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil. Meiofauna community was dominated by nematodes and ostracods, following by copepods and turbellarians. Densities of all studied organisms varied significantly among habitats. Highest values were observed in submerged mudflat while lower in salt marsh. Nematodes were unaffected by crab in either habitat, whereas ostracod, copepod and turbellarian densities were significantly lower in disturbed than control areas in both mudflat habitats. Any meiofaunal group was affected in salt marsh, probably due to a less intense disturbance. The results showed that the burrowing crab C. granulata could play an important role on meiofauna community structure in estuarine intertidal habitats of Patos Lagoon, because crab disturbance seemed to affect mainly surface populations, especially in mudflat. However, the meiofauna response to crab disturbance was variable among habitats depending of the intensity and the frequency of the disturbance.
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Losi, Valentina, Monica Montefalcone, Mariapaola Moreno, Elisa Giovannetti, Luigi Gaozza, Matia Grondona, and Giancarlo Albertelli. "Nematodes as indicators of environmental quality in seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows of the NW Mediterranean Sea." Advances in Oceanography and Limnology 3, no. 1 (January 1, 2012): 69. http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/aiol.2012.5327.
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Meiofauna in sediments colonized by Posidonia oceanica in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean) was investigated to evaluate its use as an early warning indicator of environmental disturbance. Descriptors commonly used in seagrass health assessment are mainly related to the plant (e.g., phenological parameters) and/or to the meadow (e.g., structural parameters) and are subjected to long-term response times. Conversely, meiofauna is considered a good bioindicator with a rapid response to environmental variations, due to its main features (e.g., short life cycle, scarce mobility, presence/absence of tolerant/sensitive species). Meiofaunal community, sediment characteristics and organic matter descriptors in three meadows located in urbanized coastal areas were contrasted with those observed in three meadows located within Marine Protected Areas. Samplings were carried out in two distinct periods, at the beginning and at the end of the summer season, in order to individuate early changes in the meiofaunal assemblages. The meiofauna and, particularly, the nematode assemblage composition and diversity, highlighted differences among meadows at the end of the summer not detectable by organic matter descriptors and structural parameters of the meadow (e.g. shoot density). Nematodes are, thus, proposed as appropriate biological quality elements (BQEs) able to show early responses to environmental disturbance.
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Moreno, Mariapaola, Luigi Vezzulli, Valentina Marin, Paola Laconi, Giancarlo Albertelli, and Mauro Fabiano. "The use of meiofauna diversity as an indicator of pollution in harbours." ICES Journal of Marine Science 65, no. 8 (July 18, 2008): 1428–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsn116.
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Abstract Moreno, M., Vezzulli, L., Marin, V., Laconi, P., Albertelli, G., and Fabiano, M. 2008. The use of meiofauna diversity as an indicator of pollution in harbours. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1428–1435. We assessed several meiofaunal indices in sediments of three Mediterranean harbours differing in environmental contamination to evaluate their usefulness as indicators of pollution and to identify those that best described environmental quality. In general, indicators based on meiofaunal taxa demonstrated a significant correlation with the concentration of contaminants, especially the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Nematode genus-based indicators correlated with contaminant concentrations at similar levels of significance, suggesting that a high taxonomic resolution does not improve the information content of meiofauna diversity indicators for assessing the environmental quality in these harbours. Notably, environmental variables that affect meiofaunal and nematode assemblages (e.g. water depth, grain size, and food sources) demonstrated a low spatial and temporal variability in the harbours investigated and did not represent important confounding factors. We conclude that the application of meiofaunal and nematode indices can be a useful tool for assessing the environmental quality of harbour ecosystems.
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Soto, Eulogio, Williams Caballero, and Eduardo Quiroga. "Composition and vertical distribution of metazoan meiofauna assemblages on the continental shelf off central Chile." Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 43, no. 5 (February 28, 2017): 922–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.3856/vol43-issue5-fulltext-12.
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A quantitative study of metazoan meiofauna was carried out in Valparaiso Bay (33°S 71°W) which is affected by seasonal hypoxia in central Chile. The contents of bottom water, dissolved oxygen (BWDO), organic carbon, chloroplast pigments and composition of stable carbon isotope (d13C) in the sediment were used as a measure of the contribution of primary production in the water column, which accumulates in the sediment. Meiofauna abundances in the three sampling stations (80-140 m depth) ranged from 2.218 ± 643 to 1.592 ± 148 ind 10 cm-2. Nine upper metazoan meiofauna groups were recorded, with nematodes as the dominant group, contributing with more than 95% of total abundances. The abundance vertical distribution was concentrated in the first layers of sediment in most groups except Acari and nauplii larvae. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant correlations (P < 0.05) between the meiofauna abundance and organic content, depth and redox potential from sediments. These results represent a first approach to understanding the ecology of meiofaunal assemblages in the Valparaiso Bay and may be useful as a baseline for future comparisons and descriptions of the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) and seasonal variations of these unknown benthic communities.
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Moore, C. G. "Meiofauna of the industrialised estuary and Firth of Forth, Scotland." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biological Sciences 93, no. 3-4 (1987): 415–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0269727000006850.
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SynopsisKnowledge concerning the meiofauna of the Forth is reviewed and extended by presentation of the results of new surveys of the intertidal and subtidal provinces of the estuary. Most of the published information concerns the influence of sewage pollution on shores of the firth. Before 1979, the meiofaunal communities of sandy beaches along the Edinburgh coastline exhibited reduced species richness, although certain taxa displayed enhanced densities. Improvements in the sewage treatment process have initiated a phase of meiofaunal recovery.In the estuary the salinity regime plays a key role in the determination of species composition, although the influence of local changes in sediment type and stability is recognised. Meiofaunal communities of lower shore mudflats in different salinity zones of the estuary are described. Pollution plays a major modifying role. In the upper reaches of the estuary, which suffer oxygen depletion in summer, only nematodes and oligochaetes were recorded in the oligohaline zone and impoverished nematode and copepod faunas in the mesohaline zone. In the polyhaline zone discharges from the industrialised region around Grangemouth modify meiofaunal community structure over an extensive area of mudflat. The subtidal meiofauna of the lower estuary is briefly described, particularly with respect to the copepods. Impoverishment again occurs in the vicinity of Grangemouth.
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Bianchelli, Silvia, Daniele Nizzoli, Marco Bartoli, Pierluigi Viaroli, Eugenio Rastelli, and Antonio Pusceddu. "Sedimentary Organic Matter, Prokaryotes, and Meiofauna across a River-Lagoon-Sea Gradient." Diversity 12, no. 5 (May 12, 2020): 189. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12050189.
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In benthic ecosystems, organic matter (OM), prokaryotes, and meiofauna represent a functional bottleneck in the energy transfer towards higher trophic levels and all respond to a variety of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The relationships between OM and the different components of benthic communities are influenced by multiple environmental variables, which can vary across different habitats. However, analyses of these relationships have mostly been conducted by considering the different habitats separately, even though freshwater, transitional, and marine ecosystems, physically linked to each other, are not worlds apart. Here, we investigated the quantity and nutritional quality of sedimentary OM, along with the prokaryotic and meiofauna abundance, biomass, and biodiversity, in two sampling periods, corresponding to high vs. low freshwater inputs to the sea, along a river-to-sea transect. The highest values of sedimentary organic loads and their nutritional quality, prokaryotic and meiofaunal abundance, and biomass were consistently observed in lagoon systems. Differences in the prokaryotic Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and meiofaunal taxonomic composition, rather than changes in the richness of taxa, were observed among the three habitats and, in each habitat, between sampling periods. Such differences were driven by either physical or trophic variables, though with differences between seasons. Overall, our results indicate that the apparent positive relationship between sedimentary OM, prokaryote and meiofaunal abundance, and biomass across the river-lagoon-sea transect under scrutiny is more the result of a pattern of specifically adapted prokaryotic and meiofaunal communities to different habitats, rather than an actually positive ‘response’ to OM enrichment. We conclude that the synoptic analysis of prokaryotes and meiofauna can provide useful information on the relative effect of organic enrichment and environmental settings across gradients of environmental continuums, including rivers, lagoons, and marine coastal ecosystems.
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Rebecchi, Federica, Daniela Zeppilli, Elisa Baldrighi, Anna Di Cosmo, Gianluca Polese, Alessandro Pisaniello, and Jacques Grall. "First insights into the meiofauna community of a maerl bed in the Bay of Brest (Brittany)." Scientia Marina 86, no. 1 (April 7, 2022): e024. http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/scimar.05230.024.
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Maerl beds, particularly those of Brittany, are important, structurally complex biogenic coastal habitats that form a unique ecosystem with high benthic biodiversity. Although they are relatively well studied throughout Europe, several faunal groups of maerl beds, such as those belonging to the meiofauna, have received little attention. We investigated the meiofaunal abundance, distribution and community structure, with a focus on nematode biomass and diversity, in a maerl area in the Bay of Brest, Brittany, compared with that on a sandy beach (Anse de Dinan, Brittany). Meiofauna was five times more abundant on the maerl bed than on the sandy beach, and 1.5 times more diversified (12 vs. 8 taxa, respectively). Nematode diversity was more than three times higher on the maerl bed than on the sandy beach and showed a distinctive nematode community that was absent from the sandy beach. Maerl beds create more heterogeneous microhabitats and promote a higher diversification of meiofauna and nematode communities than sandy beaches.
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Semprucci, Federica, and Roberto Sandulli. "Editorial for Special Issue “Meiofauna Biodiversity and Ecology”." Diversity 12, no. 6 (June 19, 2020): 249. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12060249.
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Meiofauna are a component of aquatic environments from polar to tropical regions. They may colonize all types of habitats and include very enigmatic and exclusive taxa. The biodiversity of this component in marine ecosystems is far from being accurately estimated, but this would be a new challenge given the importance that meiofaunal components may play in marine ecosystem functioning and processes. This Special Issue collects many interesting topics in research on meiofauna contributing to plugging a gap on several key issues in their biodiversity, distribution, and ecology, from numerous regions that include the USA, Brazil, French Guiana, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, Italy, Kuwait, Vietnam, Madagascar, the Maldives, and South Korea.
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Whomersley, P., M. Huxham, M. Schratzberger, and S. Bolam. "Differential response of meio- and macrofauna to in situ burial." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 89, no. 6 (June 23, 2009): 1091–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315409000344.
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Benthic nematode and macrofaunal communities are regularly utilized in impact studies. However, very few studies are carried out utilizing both communities. A literature search using the search engine Scopus (www.Scopus.com) covering the last twenty years, using the keywords ‘Macrofauna’ and ‘Disturbance’ then ‘Meiofauna’ and ‘Disturbance’ and finally ‘Macrofauna and Meiofauna’ and ‘Disturbance’, gave 210, 115 and 36 hits respectively. To assess the differential response of meio- and macrofauna to in situ burial a replicated random block designed field experiment was carried out over a 9-month period on an intertidal mud flat. In situ burial was achieved by spreading 4 cm of anoxic mud on top of each treatment plot at two different intensities. Differences in the response of the two faunal communities over time were assessed using both univariate and multivariate techniques. Clear differences in community behaviour over time and in response to the different intensities of disturbance were observed. Overall macrofauna were found to be more sensitive to physical disturbance than meiofaunal nematodes, although, attributes of meiofaunal nematode communities were more sensitive to the initial impacts of disturbance. The observed community-specific responses and sensitivities of meiofauna and macrofauna to the physical disturbance associated with in situ burial highlights the importance of using both faunal types in the assessment of the effects of seabed disturbance in the marine environment.
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Santos, T. M. T., and V. Venekey. "Meiofauna and free-living nematodes in volcanic sands of a remote South Atlantic, oceanic island (Trindade, Brazil)." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 98, no. 8 (October 11, 2017): 1919–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315417001710.
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This study presents patterns of spatial and temporal variation in the meiofaunal community and nematode associations on the volcanic sandy beaches of Trindade Island, a remote oceanic island in the South-east Atlantic Ocean. Samples were collected in August (rainy season) and December 2014 (dry season) on four beaches (Tartarugas, Parcel, Cabritos and Portugueses) at three zones of the intertidal (high, mid and low). A total of 10 meiofaunal groups were found. Copepods (31%) and nematodes (27%) dominated the meiofauna in all beaches and zones, regardless of the season. Nematodes were comprised mainly of non-selective deposit feeders, with a total of 27 genera from 12 families, with Cyatholaimidae, Xyalidae and Oncholaimidae as the most diverse and abundant. Significant differences were found in the meiofaunal community, as well as in nematode associations, among seasons and intertidal zones but not among beaches. The sediment characteristics were the main drivers regulating the structure of meiobenthic fauna in Trindade Island. Our findings are also compared to other studies focusing on the meiofauna and nematodes of oceanic islands with carbonate and volcanic sediments; the major patterns are herein presented.
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Fegley, Stephen R., Julian P. S. Smith, Douglas Johnson, Amelia Schirmer, Jeremiah Jones‐Boggs, Austin Edmonds, and Joseph Bursey. "Nourished, Exposed Beaches Exhibit Altered Sediment Structure and Meiofaunal Communities." Diversity 12, no. 6 (June 15, 2020): 245. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12060245.
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To retain recreational uses and shoreline protection, a large proportion of ocean beaches have been, and continue to be, nourished. Adding sand from subtidal and terrestrial sources to nourish beaches rarely re-creates the original sediment structure of the beach. Numerous studies have demonstrated that meiofaunal communities are altered by changes in sediment composition in low-energy substrates, therefore, we have explored whether beach nourishment has affected exposed, ocean beach meiofaunal communities. Since the early 2000s, we have conducted a series of sampling and experimental studies on meiofauna and sediments on nourished beaches in coastal North Carolina USA that had been sampled previously in the early 1970s, prior to any beach nourishment. Most of our studies consider meiofauna at the level of major taxa only. However, a few studies examine free-living flatworm (turbellarian) species in detail because of the existence of historical studies examining this group. Comparison of contemporary results to historical data and of heavily nourished versus lightly nourished beaches reveals extensive changes to beach sediment structure and meiofaunal community composition, indicating that the beaches are a more heterogeneous habitat than in the past. The effects of these substantial physical and biological changes to the production of beach ecosystem services are unlikely to be inconsequential.
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Ingels, Jeroen, Yirina Valdes, Letícia P. Pontes, Alexsandra C. Silva, Patrícia F. Neres, Gustavo V. V. Corrêa, Ian Silver-Gorges, et al. "Meiofauna Life on Loggerhead Sea Turtles-Diversely Structured Abundance and Biodiversity Hotspots That Challenge the Meiofauna Paradox." Diversity 12, no. 5 (May 20, 2020): 203. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12050203.
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Sea turtles migrate thousands of miles annually between foraging and breeding areas, carrying dozens of epibiont species with them on their journeys. Most sea turtle epibiont studies have focused on large-sized organisms, those visible to the naked eye. Here, we report previously undocumented levels of epibiont abundance and biodiversity for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), by focusing on the microscopic meiofauna. During the peak of the 2018 loggerhead nesting season at St. George Island, Florida, USA, we sampled all epibionts from 24 carapaces. From the subsamples, we identified 38,874 meiofauna individuals belonging to 20 higher taxa. This means 810,753 individuals were recovered in our survey, with an average of 33,781 individuals per carapace. Of 6992 identified nematodes, 111 different genera were observed. To our knowledge, such levels of sea turtle epibiont abundance and diversity have never been recorded. Loggerhead carapaces are without doubt hotspots of meiofaunal and nematode diversity, especially compared to other non-sedimentary substrates. The posterior carapace sections harbored higher diversity and evenness compared to the anterior and middle sections, suggesting increased colonization and potentially facilitation favoring posterior carapace epibiosis, or increased disturbance on the anterior and middle carapace sections. Our findings also shed new light on the meiofauna paradox: “How do small, benthic meiofauna organisms become cosmopolitan over large geographic ranges?” Considering high loggerhead epibiont colonization, the large distances loggerheads migrate for reproduction and feeding, and the evolutionary age and sheer numbers of sea turtles worldwide, potentially large-scale exchange and dispersal for meiofauna through phoresis is implied. We distinguished different groups of loggerhead carapaces based on divergent epibiont communities, suggesting distinct epibiont colonization processes. These epibiont observations hold potential for investigating loggerhead movements and, hence, their conservation.
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Semprucci, F., C. Sbrocca, M. Rocchi, and M. Balsamo. "Temporal changes of the meiofaunal assemblage as a tool for the assessment of the ecological quality status." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 95, no. 2 (September 9, 2014): 247–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315414001271.
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The Adriatic Sea, being a semi-closed and shallow basin, is more sensitive to anthropogenic impact than other areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Given the crucial role of meiofauna in the marine ecosystems, temporal series of data on this benthic assemblage are fundamental to give new insights into the health status of this basin. A data set (decade 2002–2012) on the meiofauna of two river mouths (Foglia and Metauro) close to a Natural Park (Monte San Bartolo, Central Adriatic Sea) has been analysed and related to several environmental parameters. In particular, changes in the meiofaunal structure, abundance and diversity have been investigated in order to evaluate possible variations of ecological quality status (EQS), in accordance with the Water Framework Directive. The structure of the meiofaunal assemblage appeared significantly different in the period studied, with a higher abundance of annelids in 2002 and an increase of nematodes in the following sampling campaigns. Among the faunal parameters, the Shannon and Pielou indices suggested a decline of the EQS over time, likely mainly due to the negative effect of chlorophyll-a peaks, which may highlight the influence of eutrophication phenomena and an enhancement of the organic matter supply. The lowering of the EQS of the study area suggests the need to intensify management and conservation efforts in the coastal systems, and supports the use of the meiofaunal assemblage as a useful bioindicator.
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Peters, Lars, and Walter Traunspurger. "Species distribution of free-living nematodes and other meiofauna in littoral periphyton communities of lakes." Nematology 7, no. 2 (2005): 267–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1568541054879520.
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AbstractRecent studies on meiofaunal and nematode communities have focused on soft sediments in streams, lakes and marine environments. Despite a large number of studies dealing with periphyton, meiofaunal and nematode communities, on littoral hard substrates in lakes have not yet been investigated in detail. Therefore, epilithic communities with particular emphasis on nematode species composition, were analysed in 17 Swedish lakes differing greatly in size, depth, trophic status and epilithic biomass. Nematode abundance ranged from 2.3 to 161.5 cm−2, and the abundance of nematodes relative to total meiofauna ranged from 20 to 77% (mean 53%). Fifty-eight nematode species were identified; species numbers varied from eight to 34 species per lake. The dominant species were Rhabdolaimus aquaticus, Punctodora ratzeburgensis, Eumonhystera dispar and Crocodorylaimus flavomaculatus. Deposit feeders dominated (71% of total fauna), followed by suction feeders (14%), epistrate feeders (12%) and chewers (3%). Of 3624 nematodes examined, 54% were juveniles, 35% females, 6% males and 5% gravid females. Multivariate analysis of the nematode species composition revealed significant differences in the community structures among lakes. This is the first study to show that meiofauna is a numerically abundant group within littoral periphyton communities in lakes, with nematodes representing the dominant group.
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Martins, Mariana de Oliveira, Tito Cesar Marques de Almeida, and Maikon Di Domenico. "Vertical distribution of meiofauna on reflective sandy beaches." Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 63, no. 4 (December 2015): 469–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-87592015095606304.
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Abstract Extreme physical conditions usually limit the meiofauna occurrence and distribution in highly hydrodynamic environments such as reflective beaches. Despite sediment grains of the upper layers being constantly resuspended and deposited, the high energy of the swash zone besides depositing coarse sediments allows an ample vertical distribution of meiofaunal organisms. The effect of physical, chemical and sediment variables on the vertical distribution of meiofaunal organims and nematodes was analysed on two reflective exposed beaches. Sampling was conducted at three sampling points on each beach in the swash zone. The sediment collected was divided into four 10-cm strata (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-40 cm). The statistical differences between strata due to factors previously established (i.e. meiofaunal composition, density of most abundant taxa) were tested using a hierarchical PERMANOVA applied under similarity and euclidian distances. An inverse relation among average grain size, content of organic matter and sediment sorting was evident. Coarser sediment characterized the upper layers, while at deeper layers the sediment was very poorly sorted and presented a higher content of organic matter. A similar pattern in the vertical distribution of meiofaunal and nematofaunal composition and density was detected. The lowest densities were associated with the first stratum (0-10 cm), highly affected by hydrodynamics. The vertical distribution of organisms was statistically different only when the interaction among factors was considered. This result suggests that zonation and vertical distribution of meiofaunal organisms are determined by the within-beach variability.
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Assy, Dwi, Niniek Widyorini, and Ruswahyuni. "HUBUNGAN KELIMPAHAN MEIOFAUNA PADA KERAPATAN LAMUN YANG BERBEDA DI PULAU PANJANG, JEPARA." Management of Aquatic Resources Journal (MAQUARES) 2, no. 3 (August 29, 2013): 226–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/marj.v2i3.4219.
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Lamun merupakan salah satu sumberdaya laut yang sangat potensial dan dapat dimanfaatkan. Organisme benthos seperti meiofauna menepati posisi yang sangat penting dalam proses biodegradasi di ekosistem pantai. Meiofauna bersifat relatif menetap pada dasar perairan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kelimpahan meiofauna pada kerapatan lamun yang berbeda di Pantai Pulau Panjang, Jepara dan mengetahui hubungan antara kerapatan lamun yang berbeda dengan kelimpahan meiofauna. Metode pengambilan sampel dan pengamatan meiofauna adalah sampel diambil 7 titik dari setiap stasiun, pengambilan sampel meiofauna dengan menggunakan pralon 20 cm, sampel kemudian disaring dengan menggunakan saringan sampel 0,5 mm dan diberi formalin sebanyak 4% ,larutan rose bengale™ dan larutan ludox. Jenis lamun yang ditemukan di lokasi penelitian ini didapatkan 5 genera lamun yaitu Thalassia sp, Cymodocea sp, Enhalus sp, Syringodium sp dan Halodule sp. Jumlah spesies individu meiofauna pada stasiun A yaitu 34.666 individu/m3 dari 22 spesies, pada stasiun B yaitu 42.666 individu/m3 dari 22 spesies dan pada stasiun C yaitu 54.000 individu/m3 dari 22 spesies. Uji korelasi pearson didapatkan nilai sebesar 0,565 ( ≥ 0,05 ) dengan kesimpulan H0 diterima dan H1 ditolak. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada hubungan antara meiofauna dengan kerapatan lamun yang berbeda di Pulau Panjang Jepara. Nilai korelasi antara meiofauna dengan kerapatan lamun sebesar -0,632, hal ini menunjukkan bahwa tidak adanya hubungan yang erat antara meiofauna dengan kerapatan lamun di Pulau Panjang, Jepara.
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Tita, G., G. Desrosiers, and M. Vincx. "New type of hand-held corer for meiofaunal sampling and vertical profile investigation: a comparative study." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 80, no. 1 (February 2000): 171–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315499001691.
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A new hand-held corer for meiofaunal sampling and vertical profile investigation was developed. Its design and use prevents problems connected with core compression caused by the use of a plunger for core extrusion as generally applied in common coring techniques. This represents an advantage when meiofauna vertical profiles are investigated. A comparison between vertical profiles obtained from the newly developed corer and from commonly used corers shows that non-extrusive techniques significantly reduce sediment core compression.
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Gooday, A. J., O. Pfannkuche, and P. J. D. Lambshead. "An Apparent Lack of Response By Metazoan Meiofauna to Phytodetritus Deposition in the Bathyal North-Eastern Atlantic." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 76, no. 2 (May 1996): 297–310. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400030563.
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Metazoan meiofauna were studied in replicated multiple-corer samples obtained at a bathyal site (1320–1360 m depth) in the Porcupine Seabight (51°36′N 13°00′W) before (April) and after (July) the delivery to the seafloor of a phytodetrital pulse originating from the 1982 spring bloom. In all samples the metazoan meiofauna was dominated by nematodes; harpacticoid copepods and their nauplii were the second most abundant taxon. Population densities and biomass were very similar in both sample sets, the only significant differences being in the numbers of ostracods (higher in April) and nauplii (higher in July). Furthermore, vertical distribution patterns in the top 5 cm of sediment indicate that the meiofauna did not migrate towards the sediment surface following the phytodetrital pulse. The lack of a metazoan meiofaunal response contrasts with published evidence, based on the same samples, for a substantial increase in the foraminiferal abundance following the sedimentation event. Thus our results suggest that metazoans (as a whole) fail to exploit and utilize phytodetritus as rapidly as foraminifera. This probably reflects the energetic expense of egg production coupled with frequently slower rates of somatic growth among metazoans. In addition, foraminifera may outcompete metazoans for detrital food because they possess extremely efficient food-gathering organelles (granuloreticulate pseudopodia) and are able to raise their levels of metabolic activity very rapidly. However, metazoan responses at the species level, or over longer time periods (>3 months), would not have been detected and so remain a possibility.
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Chelchowski, Maciej, Piotr Balazy, Katarzyna Grzelak, Lukasz Grzelak, Monika Kędra, Joanna Legezynska, and Piotr Kuklinski. "Vertical zonation of benthic invertebrates in the intertidal zone of Antarctica (Admiralty Bay, King George Island)." Antarctic Science 34, no. 1 (October 27, 2021): 29–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095410202100047x.
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AbstractThe Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing rapid change due to global warming, including air and water temperature increases. Fauna inhabiting the intertidal zone are particularly exposed to warming impacts, as they are subjected to high variations in both terrestrial and marine environmental settings. This study aimed to assess intertidal macrofaunal and meiofaunal biodiversity, tidal height-related assemblage structural patterns and their responses to variability in environmental parameters on King George Island. A total of 39 macrofaunal taxa were identified, with polychaetes and amphipods being the most diverse groups and gastropods, amphipods and bivalves being the most abundant. In the case of meiofauna, 16 taxa were found, mainly nematodes, copepod nauplii and harpacticoids. There was a significant decrease in the number of species, abundance and biomass for both macrofauna and meiofauna with increasing tidal height. Our investigation documented highly diverse and abundant fauna in the Antarctic intertidal zone. With its thriving life, it could serve as a perfect model system for detecting climate change impacts on local biodiversity. Therefore, we propose the Antarctic intertidal zone as a suitable habitat for monitoring these changes.
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Wowor, Nicky M., Fontje G. Kaligis, and Carolus Paruntu. "Struktur Komunitas Meiofauna Pada Hutan Mangrove Di Pesisir Dusun Kuala Batu Kecamatan Likupang Timur Kabupaten Minahasa Utara." JURNAL PESISIR DAN LAUT TROPIS 4, no. 1 (February 10, 2016): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.35800/jplt.4.1.2016.11329.
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Meiofauna adalah hewan avertebrata perairan berukuran kecil (63–1000 μm) yang hidup pada habitat hutan mangrove. Belum ada infomasi tentang jenis-jenis, distribusi dan keanekaragaman spesis meiofauna pada hutan mangrove di pesisir Dusun Kuala Batu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk; Mengetahui jenis-jenis, distribusi dan keanekaragaman spesies meiofauna pada hutan mangrove Dusun Kuala Batu. Lokasi penelitian ini berada di wilayah pesisir Dusun Kuala Batu Desa Serawet Kecamatan Likupang Timur Kabupaten Minahasa Utara. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode survey jelajah dan metode line transek kuadran. Analisis data dengan menggunakan rumus indeks Morisita. Hasil penelitian diperoleh 7 jenis meiofauna, yaitu: Ligia vitiensis, Famili ligiidae Sacculina, Famili sacculinidae Eunice fucata, Famili eunicidae unidedentified species, Famili Thalestridae, Ocypode Cordimana, Famili ocypodidae, Perisesarma guttatum, Famili sesafunidae dan Harpacticoida, Famili Porcelidiidae. Indeks keanekaragaman spesis tertinggi didapati pada Eunice fucata, Famili Eunicidae sedangkan yang terendah didapat pada Harpacticoida, Famili Porcelidiidae. Meiofauna yang ditemukan antar stasiun cenderung sama sedangkan meiofauna yang ditemukan pada stasiun pertama lebih banyak dari pada stasiun lainnya. Secara ilmiah, hasil penelitian ini dapat memberikan kontribusi bagi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan khususnya ekologi meiofauna.
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Yusal, Muh Sri, and Ahmad Hasyim. "Kajian Kualitas Air Berdasarkan Keanekaragaman Meiofauna dan Parameter Fisika-Kimia di Pesisir Losari, Makassar." Jurnal Ilmu Lingkungan 20, no. 1 (January 1, 2022): 45–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/jil.20.1.45-57.
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Pesisir merupakan kawasan yang rentan mengalami penurunan kualitas perairan akibat masuknya bahan-bahan pencemar hasil aktivitas antropogenik dari daratan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk untuk mengkaji kualitas perairan berdasarkan keanekaragaman meiofauna dan parameter fisika-kimia di pesisir Losari, Makassar. Selain itu penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menganalisis pengaruh parameter fisika-kimia terhadap keanekaragaman meiofauna di dasar perairan. Penelitian ini bersifat kuantitatif dengan teknik pengambilan data secara purposive sampling. Status kualitas perairan di pesisir Losari dikategorikan sebagai perairan yang tercemar berat, hal ini didasarkan pada tingkat keanekaragaman spesies meiofauna yang sangat rendah dan sebagian besar parameter fisika-kimia perairan yang tidak memenuhi baku mutu yang telah ditentukan oleh pemerintah RI melalui Kep. MLH. No. 51 Tahun 2004. Kecerahan, DO, Suhu, kedalaman, salinitas, dan nitrat sedimen merupakan parameter fisika-kimia yang berkorelasi positif atau berpengaruh terhadap tingkat keanekaragaman meiofauna. Adapun parameter lingkungan perairan yang berkorelasi negatif terhadap tingkat keanekaragaman meiofauna di pesisir Losari, diartikan sebagai hubungan yang tidak menguntungkan. Kondisi ini terjadi akibat meiofauna merasa terganggu atas sebaran fosfat sedimen, nitrat air laut, fosfat air laut, dan pH yang tidak memenuhi baku mutu air laut.ABSTRACTThe Coastal zone are susceptible to decreasing water quality due entry of pollutants from anthropogenic activities in the mainland. This study assessed water quality based on meiofauna diversity and physical-chemical parameters in the Losari coast, Makassar. Furthermore, this study was to analyze the physical-chemical parameters effect on the diversity of meiofauna at the seabed. It employed a quantitative approach with purposive sampling technique. Water quality status on the Losari coast categorized as heavily polluted waters, this based on low level of meiofauna species diversity and most of the physical-chemical parameters does not meet the quality standards determined by Indonesian government through Kep. MLH. No. 51 of 2004. Brightness, DO, temperature, depth, salinity, and sediment nitrate are physical-chemical parameters positively correlated or influenced of meiofauna diversity level. The aquatic environmental parameters negatively correlated with meiofauna diversity level in the Losari coast are interpreted as an unfavorable relationship. This condition occurs because the meiofauna feel disturbed by distribution of sedimentary phosphate, seawater nitrate, seawater phosphate, and pH that does not meet seawater quality regulations.
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Jobson, Richard W., E. Charles Morris, and Shelley Burgin. "Carnivory and nitrogen supply affect the growth of the bladderwort Utricularia uliginosa." Australian Journal of Botany 48, no. 4 (2000): 549. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt99039.
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A glasshouse experiment was designed to determine whether the terrestrial bladderwort species Utricularia uliginosa Vahl. gained any growth advantage from carnivory at different levels of nitrogen enrichment of the substrate. Three organism treatments were used: a control, a protist-only treatment (Euglena spp.) and a protist + meiofauna treatment (Euglena spp. plus nematodes, copepods, ostracods, cladocerans and Acarina). The organism treatments were factorially combined with three nitrogen levels (N0, N1, N2). Populations of Euglena were successfully established in the substrate of pots in the protist, and meiofauna + protist treatments, and were found in the traps of plants growing in these treatments. Populations of the meiofauna from the inoculating cultures were successfully established in the meiofauna + protist treatment, and were trapped by plants in these treatments. A background contamination of the control and protist-only treatments by Acarina occurred over the course of the experiment; however, numbers of Acarina in these treatments were at least an order of magnitude lower than numbers of meiofauna in the meiofauna + protist treatment. Non-acarinid meiofauna were restricted solely to the meiofauna + protist treatment. Organism treatment interacted significantly with the nitrogen level of the substrate to affect growth of Utricularia. Plants trapping Euglena (+ Acarina) had significantly less dry weight than control plants at the N0 base level of nitrogen; this negative effect of trapping Euglena on plant growth disappeared at the two higher nitrogen levels. The dry weight of plants trapping the full range of meiofauna at the N0 level was comparable with control plants. Plants trapping the full range of meiofauna + Euglena at the N1 level had significantly more dry weight than plants trapping Euglena only, and the highest dry weight of any treatment; the benefit of trapping the full range of meiofauna + Euglena was non-significant at the N2 level. Dry weight of plants was not significantly affected by nitrogen in any organism treatment. These results suggest that carnivory was overcoming a nitrogen deficiency induced by Euglena at the N0 level, but was overcoming deficiencies of other nutrients at the N1 level.
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Riera, Rodrigo, Jorge Nunez, and Maria del Carmen Brito. "Temporal Variations of Shallow Subtidal Meiofauna in Los Cristianos Bay (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Ne Atlantic Ocean)." Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 62, no. 3 (September 2014): 167–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-87592014027406203.
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A subtidal meiofaunal assemblage in Los Cristianos Bay, Tenerife, Canary Islands was sampled from May 2000 to April 2001, at 3 m depth. Nematodes dominated overwhelmingly during the study period, ranging from 84.52% in May 2000 to 95.93% in October 2000. Copepods and polychaetes were the second and the third most abundant groups, respectively. Meiofaunal densities showed significant differences throughout the study period, with minimum abundances during the spring-summer months (May-July) and highest densities in winter (January and February). This seasonality is mainly due to the temporal variations of the most abundant species (nematodes Daptonema hirsutum and Pomponema sedecima), with differences in meiofauna species composition and abundance during May and June 2000 as compared to the remaining months of the study period. Environmental variables partly explained meiofaunal community structure, being the sedimentary type of very fine sands the most important, jointly with other variables, such as nitrogen and organic matter content.
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Maria, Tatiana Fabricio, Adriane Pereira Wandeness, and André Morgado Esteves. "State of the art of the meiofauna of Brazilian Sandy Beaches." Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 64, spe2 (2016): 17–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-875920160946064sp2.
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Abstract In Brazil, meiofauna studies began in the middle of last century, but they adopted a purely taxonomical approach, describing species from various zoological groups. After this first step, this benthic group was largely neglected until the end of the 20th century when ecological studies began. We here provide a brief review of present knowledge of the meiofauna found on Brazilian sandy beaches to provide information for ReBentos (Coastal Benthic Habitats Monitoring Network). Our methodology consisted of a bibliographic survey undertaken using different datasets (Web of ScienceTM, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Lattes Plataform). For the survey, we considered only those studies published till early 2015. Our analysis showed that the number of meiofauna studies has increased over the last two decades, though they are mainly still concentrated on the Southeast of Brazil. These studies aim to explain the distribution pattern of the meiofauna of the intertidal region of sandy beaches. Based on the results, we presented a discussion of three main topics, i.e., (a) current knowledge of Brazilian sandy beach meiofauna, (b) sampling strategies for monitoring of the meiofauna, and (c) use of the meiofauna as a tool to assess climate change. We trust that this brief review will be useful as a starting point for the delineation of further climate change investigations into sandy beach meiofauna.
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Ptatscheck, C., S. Gehner, and W. Traunspurger. "Should we redefine meiofaunal organisms? The impact of mesh size on collection of meiofauna with special regard to nematodes." Aquatic Ecology 54, no. 4 (September 7, 2020): 1135–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09798-2.
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Abstract Meiofaunal organisms are the predominant metazoans in benthic systems and important members of the benthic food web. They are defined by mesh size and specifically by their retention on a sieve with a 44-µm mesh size. In this study, we examined the accuracy of this standard collection method by counting the number of meiobenthic individuals, life stages and nematode species in a sample. A filter cascade consisting of five different mesh sizes (41 µm, 30 µm, 20 µm, 10 µm and 1 µm) was used to fractionate a natural freshwater meiobenthic collection, and the individuals in each fraction were then counted. In line with the current definition of meiofauna, all tardigrades, microcrustaceans, chironomids and oligochaetes were retained by the largest mesh size, whereas 9% of the rotifers were first retained on the 30-µm meshes. For nematodes, 23% were not retained on the 41-µm meshes and individuals were collected even from the 1-µm fraction. With declining mesh size, the yield of retained nematodes increased, the age structure shifted to juveniles, evenness declined, and the species composition changed. As all of these findings were significant, this study therefore shows that the current definition of meiofauna is not sufficient to encompass the entire spectrum of meiofauna present in a sample and may result in misleading assessments of the diversity and composition of these organisms. We therefore propose that, especially for nematodes, a definition based on a smaller mesh size (at least 20 µm) is more appropriate.
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Soltwedel, Thomas, Katarzyna Grzelak, and Christiane Hasemann. "Spatial and Temporal Variation in Deep-Sea Meiofauna at the LTER Observatory HAUSGARTEN in the Fram Strait (Arctic Ocean)." Diversity 12, no. 7 (July 13, 2020): 279. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12070279.
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Time-series studies at the LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) observatory HAUSGARTEN have yielded the world’s longest time-series on deep-sea meiofauna and thus provide a decent basis to investigate the variability in deep-sea meiobenthic communities at different spatial and temporal scales. The main objective of the present study was to investigate whether the sediment-dwelling meiofauna (size range: 32–1000 µm) is controlled by small-scale local environmental conditions, rather than large-scale differences between water depths. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, including distance-based linear models (DistLM) and redundancy analysis (dbRDA), revealed that due to their small size, meiofauna tend to mainly respond to micro-scale (centimeter) variations in environmental conditions in surface and subsurface sediment layers. Inter-annual temporal patterns among metazoan meiofauna at higher taxon levels revealed only a weak effect of time, and merely on the rare meiofauna taxa (<2% of the total meiofauna community) at HAUSGARTEN.
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Santos, Paulo J. P., Mônica L. Botter-Carvalho, Ananias B. do Nascimento-Júnior, Raquel G. C. Marinho, Paulo V. V. C. Carvalho, and Ana P. M. C. Valença. "Response of estuarine meiofauna assemblage to effects of fertilizer enrichment used in the sugar cane monoculture. Pernambuco, Brazil." Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 57, no. 1 (March 2009): 43–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-87592009000100005.
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In situ application of inorganic fertilizer was used to simulate environmental eutrophication associated with the sugar cane monoculture. Meiofauna community structure is herein used to assess this experimental impact. Nine quadrangular areas (4m² each) were randomly defined in the midlittoral estuarine area. Three of these areas received a high dose of sugar cane fertilizer (375 g/m² Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium), three areas received a low dose of the fertilizer (187.5 g/m²) and the other three areas represented the control. The fertilizer was applied every week. Environmental parameters and meiofauna were sampled using three-to-four week intervals. Six samplings were subsequently performed maintaining this interval. Meiofauna was counted and identified to major taxonomic groups. Meiofauna community structure varied throughout the experimental areas. Control areas maintained their abundance values during the study period, but within the enriched areas meiofauna abundance decreased greatly. MDS and ANOSIM analysis showed significant variation in the meiofauna community structure among experimental areas and also along the experimental period in the enriched areas.
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Danovaro, R., and S. Fraschetti. "Meiofaunal vertical zonation on hard-bottoms: comparison with soft-bottom meiofauna." Marine Ecology Progress Series 230 (2002): 159–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps230159.
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Uhlenkott, Katja, Annemiek Vink, Thomas Kuhn, Benjamin Gillard, and Pedro Martínez Arbizu. "Meiofauna in a Potential Deep-Sea Mining Area—Influence of Temporal and Spatial Variability on Small-Scale Abundance Models." Diversity 13, no. 1 (December 22, 2020): 3. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13010003.
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In large areas of the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (northeast Pacific), exploration of deep-sea polymetallic nodules as a potential source of high-technology metals is ongoing. Deep-sea mining may have a severe impact on the benthic communities. Here, we investigated meiofauna communities in the abyss at the scale of a prospective mining operation area. Random forest regressions were computed to spatially predict continuous layers of environmental variables as well as the distribution of meiofauna abundance across the area. Significant models could be computed for 26 sediment and polymetallic nodule parameters. Meiofauna abundance, taxon richness and diversity were also modelled, as well as abundance of the taxon Nematoda. Spatial correlation is high if the predictions of meiofauna are either based on bathymetry and backscatter or include sediment and nodule variables; Pearson’s correlation coefficient varies between 0.42 and 0.91. Comparison of differences in meiofauna abundance between different years shows that spatial patterns do change, with an elevated abundance of meiofauna in the eastern part of the study area in 2013. On the spatial scale of a potential mining operation, distribution models prove to be a useful tool to gain insight into both temporal variability and the influence of potential environmental drivers on meiofauna distribution.
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Schratzberger, Michaela, and Jeroen Ingels. "Meiofauna matters: The roles of meiofauna in benthic ecosystems." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 502 (May 2018): 12–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2017.01.007.
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Varella Petti, Mônica A., Edmundo Ferraz Nonato, Rodrigo S. P. Skowronski, and Thaïs Navajas Corbisier. "Bathymetric distribution of the meiofaunal polychaetes in the nearshore zone of Martel Inlet, King George Island, Antarctica." Antarctic Science 18, no. 2 (June 2006): 163–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102006000186.
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Polychaetes, the dominant macrofaunal taxa of the Antarctic soft sediments, provided more than 40% of the animals found in Martel Inlet. However, little information is available on the composition of meiofaunal communities in polar areas. This study identified the meiofaunal polychaete species and described their bathymetric distribution in the nearshore zone. Sediment cores were taken by divers from 6–25 m depth in the summer of 1991 and 1994 in front of the Brazilian Antarctic Station (Martel Inlet, Admiralty Bay). Additional sampling was done at the 18 m depth in 1994 in order to study the influence of ice scouring. A total of 1895 specimens in 17 families were found. Three species (Apistobranchus glacierae, Leitoscoloplos kerguelensis and Ophryotrocha notialis), all of them belonging to the temporary meiofauna, provided more than 70% of the total polychaete fraction. This meiofaunal component showed similar distributional patterns to those of the macrofaunal polychaetes in this area.
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Schratzberger, M., J. M. Gee, H. L. Rees, S. E. Boyd, and C. M. Wall. "The structure and taxonomic composition of sublittoral meiofauna assemblages as an indicator of the status of marine environments." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 80, no. 6 (December 2000): 969–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400003039.
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A study was conducted between 1997 and 1999 to investigate meiofauna assemblages from selected inshore and offshore locations around the UK coast. The main objective was to relate the differences in meiofauna distribution patterns to a number of measured environmental variables and to establish more clearly the sensitivity of meiofauna communities to anthropogenic disturbance. Results from univariate and multivariate data analyses show that distinct spatial differences in species distribution patterns exist and that these correlate with the natural physical characteristics and concentrations of trace metals in the sediment. Abundance and diversity of meiofauna assemblages were generally higher offshore than inshore and this difference can be attributed to both natural processes and anthropogenic impacts. The inclusion of meiofauna in applied monitoring programmes offers the potential for improving the resolution of the spatial extent of anthropogenic impacts over that achievable from macrofauna investigations alone.
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Suwartiningsih, Nurul, and Fauzan Muhammad Ardhi. "Meiofaunal Diversity in Progo and Opak River Estuaries." Journal of Biotechnology and Natural Science 1, no. 2 (December 10, 2022): 88–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.12928/jbns.v1i2.5469.
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The Estuaries of Progo and Opak rivers, being the terminus of all rivers flowing through the Special Region of Yogyakarta, are highly susceptible to pollution which results in decreased water quality. The use of meiofauna as a bioindicator to assess water quality in the estuaries of Progo and Opak rivers has never been made. This study aims to determine the diversity of meiofauna at the estuaries of Progo and Opak rivers. Stations and sampling points are determined using purposive sampling method. Extraction is conducted using water ice treatment method. The meiofauna obtained from the sediment screening are then identified, calculated and analyzed to find out the index values of abundance, dominance, diversity, and evenness. The results showed that the highest meiofauna abundance index was 247,333 ind. m-2 at the estuary of Progo river station 1 at the time of the first pick-up. While the lowest meiofauna abundance was 13,333 ind. m-2 at station 2 of Opak river estuary during the first take. The dominance at the estuaries of Progo and Opak rivers is in the moderate category. The meiofauna diversity in both river estuaries is categorized as low to moderate. Evenness in both estuaries is uneven at several stations. The meiofauna diversity at the estuaries of Progo and Opak rivers is low to moderate, although the water quality still meets the quality standards.
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Bett, Brian. "Monitoring with meiofauna." Marine Pollution Bulletin 19, no. 6 (June 1988): 293–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0025-326x(88)90603-0.
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Albuquerque, Elaine F., Ana Paula Brandão Pinto, Antonieta d'Alcântara de Queiroz Perez, and Valéria Gomes Veloso. "Spatial and temporal changes in interstitial meiofauna on a sandy ocean beach of South America." Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 55, no. 2 (June 2007): 121–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-87592007000200005.
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Spatial and temporal patterns of meiofauna community from a Brazilian sandy beach were investigated. The objective of this work was to analyze the meiofauna distribution using a statistical model that considers the biological data as variables, and granulometric characteristics, organic matter, and temperature as covariables.Four zones were sampled throughout one year in a Brazilian sandy beach and three sediment cores were taken monthly from each zone. The meiofauna was composed by 12 taxa, with tardigrades and nematodes comprising 92% of the total fauna. The meiofauna mean density varied from 1556.25 to 13125.25 ind.10 cm-2, with the highest densities in December. The results of multiple regression showed that the mean effects of zones, vertical layers, and months on the organisms were significantly correlated with the principal taxa of meiofauna. The retention zone and the 0-10 cm layer presented the highest densities. The temporal distribution showed different patterns and some taxa were more abundant in the dry season, and others in the rainy season. Sedimentological variables had strong and significant effects on the meiofauna taxa. According to the results, physical variables at the retention zone create optimal living conditions for the meiobentos, making this zone an area that favors the basic and applied ecological studies.
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Baldrighi, Elisa, Daniela Zeppilli, Luca Appolloni, Luigia Donnarumma, Elena Chianese, Giovanni Fulvio Russo, and Roberto Sandulli. "Meiofaunal communities and nematode diversity characterizing the Secca delle Fumose shallow vent area (Gulf of Naples, Italy)." PeerJ 8 (May 29, 2020): e9058. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9058.
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Hydrothermal venting is rather prevalent in many marine areas around the world, and marine shallow vents are relatively abundant in the Mediterranean Sea, especially around Italy. However, investigations focusing on the characterization of meiofaunal organisms inhabiting shallow vent sediments are still scant compared to that on macrofauna. In the present study, we investigated the meiobenthic assemblages and nematode diversity inhabiting the Secca delle Fumose (SdF), a shallow water vent area located in the Gulf of Naples (Italy). In this area, characterized by a rapid change in the environmental conditions on a relative small spatial scale (i.e., 100 m), we selected four sampling sites: one diffusive emission site (H); one geyser site (G) and two inactive sites (CN, CS). Total meiofauna abundance did not vary significantly between active and inactive sites and between surface and deeper sediment layers due to a high inter-replicate variability, suggesting a pronounced spatial-scale patchiness in distribution of meiofauna. Nematofauna at site H presented the typical features of deep-sea vents with low structural and functional diversity, high biomass and dominance of few genera (i.e., Oncholaimus; Daptonema) while from site G we reported diversity values comparable to that of the inactive sites. We hypothesized that site G presented a condition of “intermediate disturbance” that could maintain a high nematode diversity. Environmental features such as sediment temperature, pH, total organic carbon and interstitial waters ions were found to be key factors influencing patterns of meiofauna and nematofauna assemblages at SdF. Even though the general theory is that nematodes inhabiting shallow vent areas include a subset of species that live in background sediments, this was not the case for SdF vent area. Due to a marked change in nematode composition between all sites and to the presence of many exclusive species, every single investigated site was characterized by a distinct nematofauna reflecting the high spatial heterogeneity of SdF.
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Copley, J. T. P., H. C. Flint, T. J. Ferrero, and C. L. Van Dover. "Diversity of meiofauna and free-living nematodes in hydrothermal vent mussel beds on the northern and southern East Pacific Rise." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, no. 5 (October 2007): 1141–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407055956.
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The ecology and biogeography of meiofauna at deep-sea hydrothermal vents have historically received less attention than those of mega- and macrofauna. This study examines the composition of major meiofaunal taxa in beds of the mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus at hydrothermal vents on the northern and southern East Pacific Rise (EPR) and presents the first comparison of species assemblages of the dominant taxon, the nematodes, among sites spanning 27 degrees of latitude. Meiofaunal samples were collected by submersible from three mussel beds at 9°N on the EPR and four mussel beds between 17 and 18°S in 1999. Estimated ages of the mussel beds at the time of sampling range from 4 to >20 years, enabling investigation of the influence of mussel bed age on meiofaunal assemblages. Overall, the meiofauna of the mussel beds was dominated by nematodes, with copepods constituting the second most abundant meiofaunal group. There was variation in the ratio of nematodes to copepods between sites, however, with copepods more abundant than nematodes in the youngest mussel beds. Apart from polychaete larvae, other meiofaunal groups were generally present at very low abundance (<1%) in the samples and restricted in diversity to gastropod larvae, acari, foraminifera, ostracoda and turbellaria. Seventeen nematode species from 14 genera and 11 families were found in the samples, with no evidence of endemicity to hydrothermal vents at the generic level. Four genera present were not previously recorded at hydrothermal vents. Nematode species richness, species:genus ratios and abundances were low compared with other deep-sea habitats, though the ecological relevance of comparisons with soft-sediment benthos is discussed. Nematode assemblages exhibited high dominance by a few species, with one species of Thalassomonhystera most abundant at five of the seven vent sites. Multivariate analysis of nematode assemblages reveals similarities among sites that do not match geographical proximity. The youngest mussel beds were most similar to each other and exhibited lower species richness than other sites, consistent with colonization of mussel bed habitat by nematodes over time. Similarity in the composition of nematode assemblages among sites separated by ~3000 km indicates that they lie within a single biogeographic province, consistent with that proposed for mussel bed macrofauna. At a generic level, samples exhibited some overlap with nematode assemblages at vents elsewhere on the EPR, on the Mid Atlantic Ridge and in the North Fiji Basin.
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Abada, Ahmed. "Low- versus High-water level effect on subtropical benthic freshwater meiofauna." EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY (Zoology) 19, no. 1 (2023): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.5455/egysebz.20221229092731.
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Little is known about meiofaunal responses to Low- versus High-Water-Level (L- vs HWL) particularly in the subtropics. Meiofaunal reaction was evaluated in three locations (deeply-different) in two man-made freshwater channels in (Rowaina and Shalma) Northern Nile Egyptian delta: 50, 100, & 150, and 900, 950, & 1000 metres distances from the sluice, respectively. LWL and HWL were in January and July 2019 respectively. Eight vs ten and nine vs eleven major taxa were noted in Rowaina H- vs LWL and Shalma L- vs HWL, respectively. Taxa had different susceptibilities to L- vs HWL. Nematode, hydracarina, and oligochaetes dominated in L- and HWL, (Shalma), and in HWL (Rowaina). Whereas Nematoda, Copepod, and Oligochaeta prevailed in LWL (Rowaina). Oligochaeta biomass was generally high in LWL and HWL. Hydracarina in LWL, and Nematode & Copepod in HWL had low biomasses in Rowaina and Shalma respectively. Abundances and biomasses were significantly different within and among channels. Environmental variables were significantly different only between water levels. It could be concluded that L- vs HWL has both direct and indirect (variabilities in environmental factors) impacts on meiofauna. Channel width & morphology, may impose extra influences. This study may enhance invertebrate surveys with hydrologically different freshwater bodies.
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Yusal, Muh Sri, Muh Aris Marfai, Suwarno Hadisusanto, and Nurul Khakhim. "Abundance of Meiofauna and Physical-Chemical Parameters as Water Quality Indicator." ILMU KELAUTAN: Indonesian Journal of Marine Sciences 24, no. 2 (June 2, 2019): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ik.ijms.24.2.81-90.
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The zone of Losari Coast is an icon of Makassar city, however increase activity of surrounding communities causes a decrease in the water quality. Meiofauna is an effective benthic organism used as an indicator of water quality. This study assessed the meiofauna abundance and physical-chemical parameters as water quality indicator in the Losari Coast, Makassar. The sampling method in this study was purposive sampling. The resuts showed that total meiofauna abundance identified was 66791 indv.m-2, composed of 12 phylum and 91 species or genera. Stations at the estuary of the Jeneberang and Tallo River are two sites with high level of abundance, this condition allows presence of organic contaminants triggers the high growth of meiofauna in these locations. Dissolved Oxygen is below its supposed level in waters. Acidity, phosphate and nitrate content at some of research stations exceed the threshold of their allowed presence in waters set by Indonesia government. Ostracoda, oligochaeta, polychaeta, tunicata and ciliophora are phylums with a high level of abundance, because the phylum has high adaptability to pollutant. Good water quality is indicated by a variety of biota living in the waters, the range of diversity and uniformity indices shows that meiofauna species are categorized highly diverse and evenly distributed. The dominance index shows that there is no species was dominant, except stations around Losari reclamation project. Temperature, current velocity, depth, brightness, salinity, pH, DO, nitrate-seawater, and phosphate-seawater correlate with meiofauna abundance. The results as a consideration for the management or monitoring of coastal environments.
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Sarmento, Visnu Cunha, Bárbara Ramos Pinheiro, Manuel de Jesus Flores Montes, and Paulo Jorge Parreira Santos. "Impact of predicted climate change scenarios on a coral reef meiofauna community." ICES Journal of Marine Science 74, no. 4 (January 8, 2017): 1170–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsw234.
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Changes in marine communities in response to elevated CO2 have been reported but information on how representatives of the benthic lower trophic levels will be impacted remains scarce. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of different climate change scenarios on a coral reef meiofauna community. Samples of the meiofauna community were collected from the coral reef subtidal zone of Serrambi beach (Ipojuca, Pernambuco, Brazil), using artificial substrate units. The units were exposed to control treatments and to three climate change scenarios, and collected after 15 and 29 d. Important changes in the meiofauna community structure were observed after 15 d of exposure. The major meiofauna groups exhibited divergent responses to the various scenarios. Although polychaetes were negatively affected after 29 d in the most severe scenario (Scenario III), harpacticoid copepods were negatively affected in Scenarios II and III after 15 and 29 d. Harpacticoid nauplii were strongly and negatively affected in all scenarios. In contrast, Nematoda exhibited higher densities in all scenarios. To the best of our knowledge, this community-based study was the first to observe how meiofauna organisms from a coral reef environment react to the synergetic effects of reductions in seawater pH and increased temperature.