Due to their inconvenient size and nature (too small for easy whole-organism work; too large for, and not amenable to, most microbiology techniques), meiofauna tend to perpetually slip through the cracks of mainstream marine ecology. The resulting knowledge gap is probably as considerable as the ecological importance of this group. In this chapter we first present the available techniques for sampling, extraction, and preservation of mudflat meiofauna, and then consider their spatial and temporal dynamics. Although their trophic ecology is obviously of prime importance, meiofauna influence the mudflat ecosystem through many other types of interactions which, at least in part, result from their high taxonomic and functional diversity. These include cryptobioturbation, which has far-reaching effects on sediment characteristics and stability; microbial grazing and fecal pellet production, which impact mudflat microbial ecology and nutrient cycling; and meiofauna-macrofauna interactions, which evolve as the macrofauna grow and develop. An increased awareness of the roles of meiofauna is essential to a comprehensive understanding of mudflat ecology. |
