Effect of short-term hypoxia on marine nematode community structure and vertical distribution pattern in three different sediment types of the North Sea.
The responses of nematode communities to short-term hypoxia (1 and 7 days) were investigated in three North Sea stations with different sediment types (coarse silt, fine sand and medium sand). In the field, nematode density, diversity, vertical distribution and community structure differ among the stations. In the laboratory, oxic and hypoxic treatments were established for 1 and 7 days for all sediment types. Comparison between field control and oxic day 1 treatments showed that experimental sediment handling did not affect nematode characteristics. Our results revealed that short-term hypoxia did not affect total density, diversity, community composition, vertical density profiles (except in the fine sand) and densities of five dominant species in all sediment types.
Ghent University, Biology Department, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), 9, Etemadzadeh Avenue, West Fatemi Street, Tehran, Iran.
Mehrshad
M
Taheri
Ghent University, Biology Department, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Ulrike
U
Braeckman
Ghent University, Biology Department, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Magda
M
Vincx
Ghent University, Biology Department, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: jan.vanaverbeke@ugent.be.
Jan
J
Vanaverbeke
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D063147:Animal Distribution / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D058448:Biota; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000469:parasitology*; D009348:Nematoda / Q000502:physiology*; D009659:North Sea; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*
D010100:Oxygen
Community structure; Hypoxia; Marine nematodes; North Sea; Sediments; Vertical distribution