The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic)
Meio- and macrofauna density and biomass were estimated at the OMEX-transect across the continental slope of the Goban Spur at water depths ranging from 208 to 4460 m in the north-east Atlantic. A linear increase in the ratio between meio- and macrofauna densities with increasing water depth was fou...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315498000265 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315498000265 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315498000265 2024-03-03T08:47:12+00:00 The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) Flach, Els Vanaverbeke, Jan Heip, Carlo 1999 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315498000265 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315498000265 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 79, issue 2, page 233-241 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 Aquatic Science journal-article 1999 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315498000265 2024-02-08T08:36:25Z Meio- and macrofauna density and biomass were estimated at the OMEX-transect across the continental slope of the Goban Spur at water depths ranging from 208 to 4460 m in the north-east Atlantic. A linear increase in the ratio between meio- and macrofauna densities with increasing water depth was found. At the continental shelf meiofauna densities were ∼50 times higher than macrofauna densities, whereas in the abyss meiofauna densities were more than 1000 times higher. This change in ratio was due to a significant decrease in macrofauna densities with increasing water depth, whereas the meiofauna densities stayed more or less at the same level. The ratio in biomass between meio- and macrofauna showed a dip at ∼1000 m. At this depth macrofauna biomass was ∼55 times higher than meiofauna biomass, whereas at ∼4500 m macrofauna biomass was only about three times higher. Macrofauna biomass was high at ∼1000 m, due to the high mean individual weight of the macrofauna, whereas meiofauna biomass and mean individual weight were low at this depth. Meiofauna consisted of ∼90% nematodes. Within the macrofaunal fraction (>0.5 mm) a linear increase in the ratio between nematodes and macrofauna sensu stricto with depth was found. At the deepest station ∼20% of the macrofaunal fraction were nematodes, at the shallowest station only ∼2%. Thus, large nematodes became relatively more important with increasing water depth. Within the macrofauna a decrease in the abundance of filter- and surface deposit-feeders relative to the subsurface deposit-feeders with increasing water depth was observed, which may be related to a change in food input. As no decrease in mean individual weight with increasing water depth within either group could be observed, the change in meio:macrofauna ratios along the OMEX-transect merely reflects a change in taxonomic (functional) composition, rather than a change in size. Article in Journal/Newspaper North East Atlantic Cambridge University Press Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79 2 233 241 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Aquatic Science |
spellingShingle |
Aquatic Science Flach, Els Vanaverbeke, Jan Heip, Carlo The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) |
topic_facet |
Aquatic Science |
description |
Meio- and macrofauna density and biomass were estimated at the OMEX-transect across the continental slope of the Goban Spur at water depths ranging from 208 to 4460 m in the north-east Atlantic. A linear increase in the ratio between meio- and macrofauna densities with increasing water depth was found. At the continental shelf meiofauna densities were ∼50 times higher than macrofauna densities, whereas in the abyss meiofauna densities were more than 1000 times higher. This change in ratio was due to a significant decrease in macrofauna densities with increasing water depth, whereas the meiofauna densities stayed more or less at the same level. The ratio in biomass between meio- and macrofauna showed a dip at ∼1000 m. At this depth macrofauna biomass was ∼55 times higher than meiofauna biomass, whereas at ∼4500 m macrofauna biomass was only about three times higher. Macrofauna biomass was high at ∼1000 m, due to the high mean individual weight of the macrofauna, whereas meiofauna biomass and mean individual weight were low at this depth. Meiofauna consisted of ∼90% nematodes. Within the macrofaunal fraction (>0.5 mm) a linear increase in the ratio between nematodes and macrofauna sensu stricto with depth was found. At the deepest station ∼20% of the macrofaunal fraction were nematodes, at the shallowest station only ∼2%. Thus, large nematodes became relatively more important with increasing water depth. Within the macrofauna a decrease in the abundance of filter- and surface deposit-feeders relative to the subsurface deposit-feeders with increasing water depth was observed, which may be related to a change in food input. As no decrease in mean individual weight with increasing water depth within either group could be observed, the change in meio:macrofauna ratios along the OMEX-transect merely reflects a change in taxonomic (functional) composition, rather than a change in size. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Flach, Els Vanaverbeke, Jan Heip, Carlo |
author_facet |
Flach, Els Vanaverbeke, Jan Heip, Carlo |
author_sort |
Flach, Els |
title |
The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) |
title_short |
The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) |
title_full |
The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) |
title_fullStr |
The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) |
title_full_unstemmed |
The meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the Goban Spur (north-east Atlantic) |
title_sort |
meiofauna:macrofauna ratio across the continental slope of the goban spur (north-east atlantic) |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315498000265 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315498000265 |
genre |
North East Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North East Atlantic |
op_source |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 79, issue 2, page 233-241 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315498000265 |
container_title |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
container_volume |
79 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
233 |
op_container_end_page |
241 |
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1792503352073912320 |