Article (Scientific journals)
Seasonal variability of meiofauna, especially harpacticoid copepods, in Posidonia oceanica macrophytodetritus accumulations
Mascart, Thibaud; Lepoint, Gilles; Deschoemaeker, Silke et al.
2015In Journal of Sea Research, 95, p. 149–160
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Mascart, 2015, Seasonal variability of meiofauna, especially harpacticoid copepods, in Posidonia oceanica macrophytodetritus accumulations.PDF
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Keywords :
leaf litter accumulations; Posidonia oceanica; macrophytodetritus; detritus; seasonal distribution; meiofauna; Copepoda; Harpacticoida
Abstract :
[en] The overall aim of this study was (1) to assess the diversity and density of meiofauna taxa, especially harpacticoid copepod species, present within accumulated seagrass macrophytodetritus on unvegetated sand patches and (2) to elucidate the community structure of detritus-associated harpacticoid copepods in relation to natural temporal variability of physico-chemical characteristics of accumulations. This was investigated in a Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile seagrass ecosystem in the northwest Mediterranean Sea (Bay of Calvi, Corsica, 42°35’N, 8°43’E) using a triplicate macrophytodetritus core field sampling in two contrasting sites over the four seasons of 2011. Meiofauna higher taxa consisted of 50% Copepoda, which 87% belonged to the Harpacticoida order. Nematoda was the second most abundant taxa. The copepod community displayed a wide variety of morphologically similar and ecologically different species (i.e. mesopsammic, phytal, phytal-swimmers, planktonic and parasitic). The harpacticoid copepod community followed a strong seasonal pattern with highest abundances and species diversity in May-August, revealing a link with the leaf litter epiphyte primary production cycle. Aside from the important role in sheltering, housing and feeding potential of macrophytodetritus, a harpacticoid community BEST analysis demonstrated a positive correlation with habitat complexity and a negative correlation with water movements and P. oceanica leaf litter accumulation.
Disciplines :
Zoology
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Environmental sciences & ecology
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
Deschoemaeker, Silke;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Biology > Marine Biology
Binard, Marc ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Dép. de Géographie : Plateforme "GITAN"
Remy, François ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanologie
De Troch, Marleen;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Biology > Marine Biology > PhD
Language :
English
Title :
Seasonal variability of meiofauna, especially harpacticoid copepods, in Posidonia oceanica macrophytodetritus accumulations
Publication date :
01 January 2015
Journal title :
Journal of Sea Research
ISSN :
1385-1101
Publisher :
Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Volume :
95
Pages :
149–160
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture [BE]
Available on ORBi :
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