Journal
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
Volume 52, Issue 5, Pages 845-859Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2004.11.009
Keywords
meiofauna; nematode; deep-sea; slope; Brazil
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
There is little meiofauna data from the southwest Atlantic, and especially lacking are Studies examining deep-sea communities. In this study, the structure of meiofauna Communities, particularly nematodes, was analyzed from data derived from 101 samples (48 samples on the continental-slope and 53 samples at a deep-sea site) collected at Campos Basin. SE Brazil. Differences in the meiofauna densities and in the number of taxa between continental slope and deep-sea sites depended on the taxonomic level examined. While total meiofauna abundance did not differ significantly between sites. nematode densities were significantly higher in the deep sea (mean of 157 inds. 10 cm(-2)) than on the slope (mean of 129 inds. 10 cm(-2)). The number of meiofauna taxa was significantly higher at the continental slope site. Yet for the most abundant meipfaunal group, the nematodes, whilst the number of families did not differ between continental slope and deep sites, the number of genera was significantly higher in the deep sea. The remarkable resemblance between the dominant nematodes (Halalaimus, Acantholaimus, Daptonema, Theristus and Sahatieria) from SE Brazil and other deep sea studies confirmed earlier suggestions of a typical deep-sea nematode community with a broad,geographical distribution. Multivariate analysis derived from meiofauna and nematode data showed that the structure of the fauna differed significantly between sites. Correlations detected between meiofauna and some sediment properties, such as grain size and sediment heterogeneity, although significant, were very low. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available