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Meiofauna and free-living nematodes in volcanic sands of a remote South Atlantic, oceanic island (Trindade, Brazil)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 October 2017
Abstract
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.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Special Issue 8: Special Section: European Marine Biology Symposium Papers 2018 , December 2018 , pp. 1919 - 1934
- Copyright
- Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017
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