A survey of intertidal meiobenthos (especially Nematoda) in coral sandy beaches of Moorea (French Polynesia)

Gourbault, N.E., Warwick, R.M. and Helléouet, M-N (1995) A survey of intertidal meiobenthos (especially Nematoda) in coral sandy beaches of Moorea (French Polynesia). Bulletin of Marine Science, 57 (2). pp. 476-488.

Abstract

Meiofaunal samples have been collected from 15 sites in intertidal beaches in Moorea, and analysed for higher taxa and nematode species. The composition of higher taxa is related to overall meiofaunal abundance and to the sediment grain-size; at most stations harpacticoid copepods are more abundant than nematodes. There is a significant negative correlation between nematode species diversity and density, but the species composition is not dependent on density as revealed by non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination (MDS). Nematode diversity is higher in coarser sediments and the species composition also correlates with grainsize, the coarser stations grouping separately from the others in the MDS. The trophic structure of the nematode assemblages is not affected by the coarseness of the sediments. Comparative data on meiofaunal and nematode diversity from other areas are discussed, and the pitfalls of making such comparisons are emphasized.

Publication Type:	Journal Article
Publisher:	Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/23399

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