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Meiofauna communities from the Straits of Magellan and the Beagle Channel
Chen, G.T.; Herman, R.L.; Vincx, M. (1999). Meiofauna communities from the Straits of Magellan and the Beagle Channel. Sci. Mar. (Barc.) 63(S1): 123-132. https://dx.doi.org/10.3989/scimar.1999.63s1123
In: Scientia Marina (Barcelona). Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Institut de Ciènces del Mar: Barcelona. ISSN 0214-8358; e-ISSN 1886-8134
Also appears in:
Arntz, W.E.; Ríos, C. (Ed.) (1999). Magellan-Antarctic: Ecosystems that drifted apart. Scientia Marina (Barcelona), 63(Supl. 1). Institut de Ciències del Mar: Barcelona. 518 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.3989/scimar.1999.63s1, more
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open access 256154 [ download pdf ]
Keywords
    Aquatic communities > Benthos > Meiobenthos
    Aquatic communities > Benthos > Zoobenthos
    Composition > Community composition
    Distribution > Geographical distribution > Vertical distribution
    Distribution > Geographical distribution > Zonal distribution
    Taxa
    Topographic features > Channels
    Water bodies > Coastal waters > Straits
    Bivalvia [WoRMS]; Copepoda [WoRMS]; Harpacticoida [WoRMS]; Kinorhyncha [WoRMS]; Nematoda [WoRMS]; Ostracoda [WoRMS]; Polychaeta [WoRMS]; Turbellaria [WoRMS]
    PSW, Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, Beagle Channel [Marine Regions]; PSW, Chile, Magellan Straits [Marine Regions]; PSW, Chile, Tierra del Fuego, Beagle Channel [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    meiofauna; density; community; Straits of Magellan; Beagle Channel;Antarctic
Authors  Top 
  • Chen, G.T.
  • Herman, R.L.
  • Vincx, M.
Abstract
    Meiofauna from 20 stations (ranging between 8 and 550 m) in the Magellan Straits and the Beagle Channel revealed 28 small sized taxa of higher categories including the temporary meiofauna. Nematoda, Copepoda Harpacticoidea and Polychaeta occurred in all samples; Turbellaria, Bivalvia, Kinorhyncha and Ostracoda were regularly present. Nematodes represented between 68% and 94% of the meiofauna at each station, followed by the copepods (2.3% to 14.5%) and polychaetes (1.1% to 11.5%). Maximal total density, 9700 individuals 10 cm(-2), was found in the surroundings of Picton Island, while the mean abundance per station was 3374 individuals 10 cm(-2). The vertical pattern within the sediment showed that 87% of meiofauna components concentrated in the upper 0-5 cm sediment layers and 13% in the lower (>5 cm) layers. More than 95% of copepods, as well as the temporary meiofauna occurred in the top 5 cm layers. The proportion of nematodes and copepods shows opposite trends in the vertical distribution. Multivariate analysis using the total density and the 10 'true' meiofauna taxa densities discriminates between communities in the Straits of Magellan and the Beagle Channel area. Meiofaunal density was much higher in the Beagle Channel, but the diversity was lower than that in the Straits of Magellan. The Southern Magellan meiofauna communities are compared with those found at the Antarctic Peninsula and in the Weddell Sea (high Antarctic). It is considered that hydrodynamic features (tidal currents with strong winds), geographical characteristics, together with sediment composition are the key parameters structuring the meiofauna community in the Straits of Magellan and in the Beagle Channel.
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