Vertical Distribution of Meiobenthos in Bathyal Sediments of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: Relationship with Labile Organic Matter and Bacterial Biomasses

Abstract. Quantitative information on the vertical distribution of meiofaunal abundances and biomass were obtained from samples collected at 3 bathyal stations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea located at the same depth but characterized by different food supply. Vertical distribution patterns of nieiofauna were investigated in relation to the biochemical composition of the sediment organic matter (proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) and compared to benthic bacterial standing stocks. No significant relationship between bacteria and meiofauna was found, whereas a significant relationship between protein and lipid concentrations and total meiofauna density was observed. These data suggest that labile organic matter. considered as material readily aVdihbk to benthic consumers, may be an important factor regulating meiofaunal abundance and vertical distribution in deep-sea sediments.     

南麂列岛海洋自然保护区潮间带小型生物初步研究

20 0 1年 10月对浙江省南麂列岛国家海洋自然保护区潮间带进行小型生物采样调查。大沙岙沙滩小型生物丰度较低 ,中潮带为 2 91.9ind· 10 cm-2 ,低潮带为 5 16.8ind· 10 cm-2 。线虫是最优势类群 ,线虫 /桡足类比分别为 3.2 7和 1.0 6,表明沙滩环境质量良好 ,未受到有机质污染。岩相潮间带有 4种大型底栖海藻。附植小型生物平均丰度为 36.1ind· g-1dw algae,桡足类为最优势类群。附植大型底栖动物丰度 4 4 .6ind· g-1dwt algae,大于小型生物丰度。     

渤海小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量

该文是渤海 1997年 6月、1998年 9月和 1999年 4月 3个航次小型底栖生物调查结果。结果表明 ,3个航次小型底栖生物的平均丰度分别为 :(2 30 0± 12 0 6 ) ind/ (10 cm2 )、(86 9± 5 10 ) ind/(10 cm2 )和 (6 32± 4 0 0 ) ind/ (10 cm2 )。平均生物量分别为 :(15 2 1± 6 34) μg(dwt) / (10 cm2 )、(72 5±35 4 )μg (dwt) / (10 cm2 )和 (5 17± 393)μg (dwt) / (10 cm2 )。共鉴定出 14个小型底栖生物类群 ,其中自由生活海洋线虫丰度占绝对优势 ,桡足类丰度居第 2位 ,这两个类群总和占小型底栖生物总丰度的 94 .8%～ 97.5 %。在生物量中所占比例列前 4位的类群依次为线虫、多毛类、桡足类、双壳类 ,加起来超过小型底栖生物总生物量的 80 %。小型底栖生物的 74 %分布于 2 cm以浅表层中。小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量在渤海海峡和渤海中东部较高 ,与环境因子的相关分析表明小型底栖生物的丰度与水深呈极显著的正相关 ,与沉积物的中值粒径呈显著的负相关     

渤海底栖桡足类群落结构的研究

渤海1998年9月航次的调查结果.小型底栖生物总平均丰度为(8688±5097)个/m2,底栖桡足类居第2位,平均丰度为(663±569)个/m2,占总数量的76%.根据77种底栖桡足类丰度所做的聚类和标序分析将渤海20个站位划分为4个组合.根据11种环境因子数据所做的聚类和主成分分析将研究海域划分为两个生境、4个亚区.对研究海域进行的分区与自然分区是基本一致的.支配研究海域底栖桡足类群落结构的主要环境因子是水深和沉积物粒度.     

The Fauna of Floating Cyanobacterial Mats in the Oligohaline Eulittoral Zone off Hiddensee (South-west Coast of the Baltic Sea)

Abstract. The fauna — including macrofauna, meiofauna, and large ciliates — of floating cyanobacterial mats in a brackish shallow-water area was studied by analysing six 20 cm² pieces of mat. Although these microbial aggregations were scarcely 1 cm thick, their total meiofauna abundance was about five times as high as in the uppermost 4 cm of the adjacent sediment. The mat fauna was dominated by harpacticoids, although large ciliates, rotifers, nematodes, and oligochaetes were also markedly more abundant than in the sediment. All species occurring in the mats were members of the surrounding sediment fauna. Out of the 47 species found, only a few, among them predominantly the harpacticoid, Mesochra lilljeborgi B oeck , 1864, and the nematode Daptonema setosum ( bütschli , 1874), accounted for the majority of the individual abundance in the mats. Both are regularly found in sulphidic biotopes near Hiddensee. As SEM micrographs revealed, the oligochaete Paranais litoralis (O. F. M üller , 1788) and the harpacticoid Cletocamptus confluens (Schmeil, 1894) were apparently optimal substrates for dense lawns of cyanobacteria. This indicates possible close interactions between the meiofauna and these microbiota. The frequent predation of histophagous ciliates on nematodes and harpacticoids, which were probably weakened by oxygen deficiency and/or high sulphide concentrations, were not only a sign of a generally neglected pathway in the food chain, but also impressively emphasized the huge variety of interactions taking place between meio- and microfauna within this specific benthic microcosm. Because of their floating character, the mats can play an important role in the dispersal of benthic fauna.     

Biological Responses to Seasonally Varying Fluxes of Organic Matter to the Ocean Floor: A Review

Deep-sea benthic ecosystems are sustained largely by organic matter settling from the euphotic zone. These fluxes usually have a more or less well-defined seasonal component, often with two peaks, one in spring/early summer, the other later in the year. Long time-series datasets suggest that inter-annual variability in the intensity, timing and composition of flux maxima is normal. The settling material may form a deposit of “phytodetritus” on the deep-seafloor. These deposits, which are most common in temperate and high latitude regions, particularly the North Atlantic, evoke a response by the benthic biota. Much of our knowledge of these responses comes from a few time-series programmes, which suggest that the nature of the response varies in different oceanographic settings. In particular, there are contrasts between seasonal processes in oligotrophic, central oceanic areas and those along eutrophic continental margins. In the former, it is mainly “small organisms” (bacteria and protozoans) that respond to pulsed inputs. Initial responses are biochemical (e.g. secretion of bacterial exoenzymes) and any biomass increases are time lagged. Increased metabolic activity of small organisms probably leads to seasonal fluctuations in sediment community oxygen consumption, reported mainly in the North Pacific. Metazoan meiofauna are generally less responsive than protozoans (foraminifera), although seasonal increases in abundance and body size have been reported. Measurable population responses by macrofauna and megafauna are less common and confined largely to continental margins. In addition, seasonally synchronised reproduction and larval settlement occur in some larger animals, again mainly in continental margin settings. Although seasonal benthic responses to pulsed food inputs are apparently widespread on the ocean floor, they are not ubiquitous. Most deep-sea species are not seasonal breeders and there are probably large areas, particularly at abyssal depths, where biological process rates are fairly uniform over time. As with other aspects of deep-sea ecology, temporal processes cannot be encapsulated by a single paradigm. Further long time-series studies are needed to understand better the nature and extent of seasonality in deep-sea benthic ecosystems. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Habitat Provision for Meiofauna by Fucus serratus Epifauna with Particular Data on the Flatworm Monocelis lineata

Abstract. Fucus serratus provides a habitable site For much epifauna if conditions are right. Epifaunal colonies in their turn as well Provide habitats in which meiofauna can dwell. Thus micro-environment is provided which is Dependent on colony-species, -size and silt for its riches. Analysis of population data shows the facts are Turbellarian abundance rarely relates to other taxa, However the flatworms' population count Closely relates to total meiofaunal amount. Experiments on bryozoan-choice by Monocelis lineata show This worm prefers Flustrellidra as a place to go. This may in part be due to thigmotactic deference But mainly seems related to a feeding preference. In addition to behaviour towards food and concavity, Responses are shown to light, temperature, current and gravity. In the discussion thus it is partly explained How meiofauna finds epifauna and there is maintained.     

Sublittoral meiofauna with particular reference to nematodes in the southern Yellow Sea, China

Densities of major meiofaunal taxa were investigated at 34 sampling stations during six cruises by R/V Beidou to the southern Yellow Sea, China from 2000 to 2004, and the community structure of free-living marine nematodes was studied during one of the cruises in 2003. Meiofauna abundance ranged from 487.4 to 1655.3 individuals per 10 cm². Nematodes and harpacticoid copepods were the two most dominant groups, contributing 73.8–92.8% and 3.5–18.7%, respectively, to the total meiofauna abundance. One-way ANOVA showed no significant annual fluctuation of meiofauna and nematode abundances from 2000 to 2004 in the southern Yellow Sea. However, two-way ANOVA based on six stations sampled in 4 years (2001–2004) showed that there were significant differences among the six stations and the 4 sampling years for meiofauna, nematode and copepod abundance. Correlation analysis demonstrated that meiofauna abundance was mainly linked to chloroplastic pigments. Other environmental factors could not be ruled out, however. A total of 232 free-living marine nematode species, belonging to 149 genera, 35 families and 4 orders, were identified. The dominant species in the sampling area were the following: Dorylaimopsis rabalaisi, Microlaimus sp.1, Prochromadorella sp., Promonohystera sp., Cobbia sp.1, Daptonema sp.1, Leptolaimus sp.1, Halalaimus sp.2, Aegialoalaimus sp., Chromadorita sp., Parodontophora marina, Parasphaerolaimus paradoxus, Quadricoma sp.1, Campylaimus sp.1, Halalaimus gracilis, Paramesacanthion sp.1, Paramonohystera sp.1, and Metalinhomoeus longiseta. CLUSTER and SIMPROF analyses revealed three main types of nematode community (or station groups) in the sampling area, including I: coastal community, II: transitory community between coastal and YSCWM (Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass), and III: YSCWM community. Each community was indicated by a number of dominant nematode species. Bio-Env correlation analysis between the nematode community and environmental variables showed that water depth, sediment water content, organic matter, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and phaeophorbide a (Pha-a) were the most important factors to determine the community structure.     

Physical determinants of intertidal communities on dissipative beaches: Implications of sea-level rise

Sea-level rise is likely to cause significant changes in the morphodynamic state of beaches in the higher latitudes, resulting in steeper beaches with larger particle sizes. These physical changes have implications for beach invertebrate communities, which are determined largely by sediment particle size, and hence for ecosystem function. Previous studies have explored the relationships between invertebrate communities and environmental variables such as particle size, beach slope and exposure to wave action, and often these physical variables can be integrated in various indices of morphodynamic state. Most of these studies incorporated a full range of beach types that included wave-dominated surf beaches, where the wave action is harsh enough to enable reliable estimates of breaker height, a parameter included in several of the indices, and concluded that more dissipative beaches with gentler slopes and finer particle sizes often support a higher number of species and greater abundance than more reflective beaches. Whether these predictions remain valid for less wave-dominated beaches, where breaker height is more difficult to determine, is uncertain. In the present study, the abundance of meio- and macrofauna was quantified across a range of beaches in the UK, which are generally towards the lower energy end of the morphodynamic gradient, and their relationships with beach physical properties explored. No significant relationships were found between abundance and the standard morphodynamic indices, but significant relationships were found for both macro- and meiofaunal abundance when these indices were combined with an exposure index (derived from velocity, direction, duration and the effective fetch). All the relationships identified between abundance and combined morphodynamic indices indicated a higher abundance of both macro- and meiofauna on the more dissipative beaches. The reverse was however found for species richness. If predictions that accelerated sea-level rise will move beaches towards a more reflective morphodynamic state are correct, this could lead to declines in the abundance of meio- and macrofauna, with potential adverse consequences for ecosystem functioning.