[en] This study investigated whether associated meiobenthic communities, especially harpacticoid copepods differed, amongst habitats. Five pre-defined habitats within and next to the Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow were sampled: living seagrass canopy leaves (LL), small (SMF) and large (LMF) macrophytodetritus fragments accumulations and sand, bare (BS) and covered (CS). The highest meiofauna abundances were recorded in the BS for the core sampled habitats (BS, CS, SMF and LMF) and in the LMF for seagrass material habitats (SMF, LMF and LL). Harpacticoid copepods were the most abundant taxon in all habitats. The assemblage composition at copepod family level showed two distinct habitats clusters: a leaf (LMF and LL) and a sediment cluster (BS, CS and SMF). Subsequently, stable isotope analyses were conducted to analyse the relationship between copepods and their potential food sources in seagrass material habitats. Based on δ13C isotopic analyses and SIAR mixing model, harpacticoid copepods relied for 70% on epiphytes and for 30% on P. oceanica leaf material in the LMF and LL habitats.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Mascart, Thibaud ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanologie
Lepoint, Gilles ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanologie
De Troch, Marleen; Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Departement of Biology > Marine Biology
Language :
English
Title :
Meiofauna and harpacticoid copepods in different habitats of a Mediterranean seagrass meadow
Publication date :
September 2013
Journal title :
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
ISSN :
0025-3154
eISSN :
1469-7769
Publisher :
Cambridge University Press, New York, United States - New York
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