Search results for "Meiobenthos"
showing 10 items of 25 documents
Diversity of meiofauna in the lacustrine profundal zone: Bathymetric differences and influence of environmental factors
1993
The diversity and species richness of total meiofauna, Harpacticoida and Oligochaeta in relation to depth and other environmental variables were studied at nine stations and in two profundal depth zones in Lake Paijanne which includes both oligotrophic and eutrophicated or organically loaded areas.
Distribution of soil animals in patchily contaminated soil
1996
Abstract Distribution of soil animals with respect to patchy chemical contamination was studied in microcosms containing reconstituted coniferous forest floor. Soil materials were defaunated and soil organisms were reinoculated into a mesh basket in the centre of each microcosm. Part of the humus layer was contaminated with three concentrations of sodiumpentachlorophenate (0, 50 or 500 mg PCP kg −1 of dry humus) and put into mesh baskets (two per concentration) around the central patch. No differences in dispersion ability from the reinoculated patch were found between microarthropod species. PCP decreased microbial biomass in the humus. Numbers of collembolans were significantly lower in t…
Microbial and meiofaunal response to intensive mussel-farm biodeposition in coastal sediments of the Western Mediterranean
2000
We studied the impact of organic loads due to the biodeposition of a mussel farm in a coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean). Sediment chemistry, microbial and meiofaunal assemblages were investigated from March 1997 to February 1998 on monthly basis at two stations: the first was located under the mussel farm, while the second was at about 1-km distance and served as control. Benthic response to changes in the biodepositional regime was investigated in terms of biochemical composition of the sedimentary organic matter, phytopigment content, bacterial abundance and composition and meiofaunal community structure. A large accumulation of chloroplastic pigments, proteins an…
Meiofauna as indicator for assessing the impact of fish farming at exposed marine site
2012
This study aimed to detect the impact of organic loads due to biodeposition from a fish farm in an exposed area of the Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea. Sediment chemistry and meiofaunal assemblages were investigated on a seasonal basis at four stations: two from the impacted area and two control stations. The presence of the cages induced a significant accumulation of proteins, lipids and biopolymeric carbon, resulting in a reduction in meiofaunal density at the impacted stations. Changes in community structure were also evident, as meiofauna under the cages were characterized by increased importance of polychaetes and copepods in comparison with a much lower importance of gastrotrichs …
New records of marine Tardigrada in the Mediterranean Sea
1996
Abstract Meiofauna from Chafarinas archipelago (western Mediterranean, N. Africa) were studied, and marine Tardigrada were identified to species level. A total of 15 species, belonging to families Stygarctidae, Halechiniscidae (Subfamilies Halechiniscinae, Florarctinae, Styraconyxinae and Tanarctinae), Batillipedidae, and Echiniscoididae, were found for the first time from the Alboran Sea and southwestern Mediterranean area. Four species and one subspecies are new records for the Mediterranean Sea: Floractus acer , F. asper , F. stellatus , Actinarctus doryphorus and Echiniscoides sigismundi hispaniensis . The male of Floractus stellatus , previously unknown to science, is described. Many s…
Meiobenthic naidid and aeolosomatid oligochaetes from the profundal zone, and relations of species to eutrophication
1989
Oligochaetes were sampled using meiobenthos methods from depths of between 20 and 94 m in Lake Paijanne in 1986. Individuals belonging to several species of the Naididae and Aeolosomatidae, which are generally considered to include mainly littoral or lotic species, were found more or less regularly at these profundal depths. The naidid species Chaetogaster langi and Arnphichaeta leydigii were more abundant in the deepest areas than at 20 m. Species also appeared to react differently to water quality. The naidid species Chaetogaster langi and the aeolosomatid species Aeolosoma quaternarium, A. hernprichi and Rheomorpha neiswestnovae were most abundant on average at oligotrophic, unpolluted s…
The occurrence of oligochaetes in lake chains receiving pulp mill waste and their relation to eutrophication on the trophic scale
1987
Earlier conceptions of oligochaetes as indicators of trophy were somewhat enlarged to include more littoral, meiofaunal and naidid species. The amplitudes of different species on the oligotrophy-eutrophy axis seem to be generally large. Certain species which probably originally occur mainly in very humic environments seem also to be able to endure very strong organic loading caused by pulp mills. Species of this kind seem to be Dero digitata, Specaria josinae, Slavina appendiculata and Aulodrilus pluriseta. Chaetogaster langi and Arcteonais lomondi are also species which live in areas receiving pulp mill wastes. A. lomondi and D. digitata seem to be species living in greater depths than the…
A quantitative survey of the benthic meiofauna in the Gulf Of Riga (eastern Baltic Sea), with special reference to the structure of nematode assembla…
1998
Abstract The Gulf of Riga is relatively shallow and considered to be one of the most eutrophied areas in the Baltic Sea with an annual primary production estimated to 290 gCm-2 yr-1. Meiofauna sampling was carried out at 30 stations homogeneously spread over the Gulf of Riga, varying in depth and sediment structure. The average meiofauna abundance was 4800 ind/10 cm2, with a maximum of 17000 ind/10 cm2. Harpacticoid copepods were abundant all over the Gulf, averaging 425 ind/10 cm2. The highest number was found close to the mouth of the river Daugava, up to 1400 ind/10 cm2. Harpacticoids were significantly more abundant in sediments with medium organic content (loss on ignition (LOI) 5–10%)…
Differential response of benthic microbes and meiofauna to fish-farm disturbance in coastal sediments
2001
Bacterial and meiofaunal abundance and biomass and their response to the disturbance induced by fish-farm biodeposition were investigated from March to October 1997 on a monthly basis at two stations of the Gaeta Gulf (Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea). The biopolymeric fraction of the organic matter was characterized by high concentrations which was similar at both fish-farming-impacted and control stations. Similarly, bacteria accounted for a small fraction of the biopolymeric organic carbon (<1%), while the contribution due to auto-fluorescent cell biomass (i.e. prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells displaying auto-fluorescence) to the total biopolymeric carbon was quantitatively negligible …
Fish-farming effects on benthic community structure in coastal sediments: analysis of meiofaunal recovery
2000
To study the impact of organic enrichment and high biodeposition caused by intensive fish farming in coastal sediments, meiofaunal samples were collected on a monthly basis between March and October 1997 at two stations of the Gaeta Gulf: One under the Farmocean cage (2000 m3), while the other (the control) was located at about 1 km from an area not impacted by fish farming. The fish farm contained about 120 000 Dicentrarchus labrax (density 18 kg m -3). The most evident changes in the benthic habitat under the cage were a large accumulation of primary organic material (phytopigment concentrations up to 44 μg g-1), changes in sedimentary organic matter composition (increased lipid levels re…