Community Structure and Spatial Variation of Meiobenthos Associated with an Artificial Structure

Abstract

The community structure of meiobenthos were studied in the tidal-flat near the study site in Iwon tidal-flat were carried out seasonally (spring, summer) in 2002, 2003. A total of 12 meiofaunal groups were found in the study area in Iwon. Nematodes were the most dominant among the meiofaunal groups as a whole. Benthic foraminiferans, harpacticoid copepods, polychaetes and nauplius of crustacean were also dominant groups in all site. The total density of meiobenthos at each stations was 246 ~ 2,177 ind./10㎠ in the tidal flat of the study area in Iwon. As the sediment depth increase, the density of meiobenthos in each station decrease gradually. The major change of meifaunal density in the study area were mainly occur in sediment surface (0~1cm). Generally, the density of nematodes was increased, and the density of another dominant meiofaunal group (benthic harpacticoids, nauplius of crustacean, benthic foraminiferans etc.) was decreased near the sediment trap against the control site of sediment trap during the period of spring to summer. Based on the results of cluster and MDS plots, meiofaunal community was changed by construction of artificial low-crested wood groin facility.