In this study, we analyse the horizontal and vertical distribution of the meiofauna in the Wagner and Consag basins. Samples were collected at soft bottom sites on board of the R/V “El Puma” (WAGNER-02 Expedition) during July- August 2010 with a Smith McIntyre grab and 10 cm cores. At each station physical and chemical variables were measured including depth, salinity, pore water temperature and pH. Twelve higher taxa of meiofauna were recorded in both basins. Meiofauna was dominated by Nematoda (73.1%) followed by Copepoda Harpacticoida (11.28%), Polychaeta (8.41%) and Kinorhyncha (4.71%). Density of meiofauna in these two basins ranked from 19.12 to 742.20 ind.10 cm-2 and were mainly concentrated in the first four centimeters of the sediment (78.6%) and decreased with sediment depth; PERMANOVA analysis show significant differences among sediment depth layers. However, PERMANOVA analysis did not show significant differences of the abundances of meiofauna between basins. Multivariate Correspondence Canonica l Analysis (MCCA) was performed but the assemblages identified had no spatial gradient. This only confirms the patchy distribution already reported for the meiofauna. This analysis reported two faunal groups: Nematoda -Polychaeta and Copepoda – Kinorhyncha. In the present study, we report for the first time the horizontal and vertical distribution of the meiofauna in a natural CO2 venting area in the Gulf of California. There is still so much that we do not know about meiofauna processes, more studies are needed specially down to species level in order to have a clearer view of how environmental factors affect each species spatial distribution.
Álvarez-Castillo L., Hermoso-Salazar M., Estradas-Romero A., Rivas G. & Prol-Ledesma R. M., 2018. Composition and spatial distribution of the meiofauna in the Wagner and Consag basins, Gulf of California, Mexico. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 59: 245-256. Article (subscription required).
