Variation in meiofaunal abundance and composition across an estuarine bay: Are meiofauna just macrofauna writ smaller, or do they display different patterns?

Variation in meiofaunal abundance and composition across an estuarine bay: Are meiofauna just macrofauna writ smaller, or do they display different patterns? | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 8 April 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Variation in meiofaunal abundance and composition across an estuarine bay: Are meiofauna just macrofauna writ smaller, or do they display different patterns? Author : Richard Barnes 0000-0002-5773-5994 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177563198.81024755/v1 170 views 71 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Is division of marine animals into macrofauna and meiofauna merely an arbitrary convenience, or, as has been claimed, does their size difference render them distinct and independent entities evolved under different ecological constraints? To investigate this, the ecological patterns of meiofaunal distribution, abundance and composition were investigated across the disparate regions of Knysna estuarine bay (South Africa). The locality was represented by ten specific seagrass and bare-sediment sites at which the equivalent macrofaunal characteristics had recently been established. Thus it was possible to compare meiofaunal and macrofaunal responses to the same suite of contrasting situations. Nematodes, copepods and ostracods, totalling 95.7% of numbers, dominated the epibenthic meiofauna which showed low (but not necessarily locally atypical) abundance: per core sample values of 19-886 (mean 211) 10 cm-2. Numbers were subequal or greater in seagrass beds than in bare sediment, and peaked in the clean delta sands of the mouth. Relative abundance of total macro- and meiofauna showed a comparable pattern along the system’s longitudinal axis, but each major component taxon, whether macrofaunal or meiofaunal, responded differently to the gradients concerned and no common within-group or contrasting between-group macrofaunal or meiofaunal responses were apparent. Indeed the strongest correlation was between distribution and abundance of the meiofaunal harpacticoids and macrofaunal gastropods. The macrofaunal ’opportunistic polychaete to amphipod’ and meiofaunal ’nematode to copepod’ indices of ecological quality yielded differing (but in both cases unrealistic) results. The Knysna macro- and meiofauna did not behave as distinct and discrete ecological entities, their individual component taxa displaying disparate patterns independent of their allocation into the two size classes. Supplementary Material File (meiofaunal assemblages.docx) Download 1.41 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 08 April 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords comparative ecosystem ecology invertebrate marine Authors Affiliations Richard Barnes 0000-0002-5773-5994 [email protected] University of Cambridge View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 170 views 71 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Richard Barnes. Variation in meiofaunal abundance and composition across an estuarine bay: Are meiofauna just macrofauna writ smaller, or do they display different patterns?. Authorea . 08 April 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177563198.81024755/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) Bluesky LinkedIn email View full text | Download PDF {"doi":"10.22541/au.177563198.81024755/v1","type":"Article"} Now Reading: Share Figures Tables Close figure viewer Back to article Figure title goes here Change zoom level Go to figure location within the article Download figure Toggle share panel Toggle share panel Share Toggle information panel Toggle information panel Go to previous graphic Go to next graphic Go to previous table Go to next table All figures All tables View all material View all material xrefBack.goTo xrefBack.goTo Request permissions Expand All Collapse Expand Table Show all references SHOW ALL BOOKS Authors Info & Affiliations About FAQs Contact Us Directory RSS Back to top Powered by Research Exchange Preprints Help Terms Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences $(document).ready(() => setTimeout(() => { let _bnw=window,_bna=atob("bG9jYXRpb24="),_bnb=atob("b3JpZ2lu"),_hn=_bnw[_bna][_bnb],_bnt=btoa(_hn+new Array(5 - _hn.length % 4).join(" ")); $.get("/resource/lodash?t="+_bnt); },4000)); (function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'9fe41260299f58f4',t:'MTc3OTIwMzg4MQ=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();