Document of bibliographic reference 106553

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Meiofauna communities along an abyssal depth gradient in the Drake Passage

Abstract

Meiofauna standing stocks and community structure are reported for the first time for abyssalsoft-sediment samples in Antarctic waters. At seven stations within a depth range of 2274-5194m a totalof 128 sediment cores were retrieved with a multiple corer (MUC) on board of the R.V. Polarstern during the ANDEEP-1 cruise (ANT XIX/3). The metazoan meiofauna (defined by a lower size limit of 40 mm) was identified and counted, and one core per station was preserved for CPE, C/N, TOM and grain size analyses. Meiofauna densities are in the range of 2731 Ind./10 cm2 at 2290m depth and 75 Ind./10 cm2 at 3597m depth, with nematodes being the dominant group at all stations. Nematodes account for 84-94% followed by copepods with 2-8% of the total meiofauna. Other frequent taxa found at each station are kinorhynchs, loriciferans, tantulocarids, ostracods and tardigrades. There is a generaltendency of decreasing abundances of metazoan meiofauna with increasing depth, but not all higher level taxa displayed this pattern. In addition, a tendency of decreasing higher taxon density with increasing depth was observed. Standing stocks are higher than the average found at similar depths in other oceans.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000225890600009

Bibliographic citation

Gutzmann, H.E.; Martínez Arbizu, P.; Rose, A.; Veit-Köhler, G. (2004). Meiofauna communities along an abyssal depth gradient in the Drake Passage. Deep-Sea Res., Part 2, Top. Stud. Oceanogr. 51: 1617-1628

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true