Meiobenthic Community Structure on the Northeast Coastal Area of Jeju Island, Korea

Abstract

We analyzed the characteristics of meiofaunal communities in the northern part of Jeju Island and the environmental factors affecting the meiofaunal communities. For the analysis of the communities, subtidal sediments containing meiofauna were collected from 6 sites (3 shallow sites and 3 deeper sites) on the northern coast of Jeju Island in April, June, August, and October 2017. The sediment samples were collected by SCUBA using a syringe. After isolating and counting meiofauna from the sediment using a series of sieves and centrifugation, the density of the meiofauna was expressed as individuals/10 cm. Density of meiofauna was lower in August compared to April and June, and the density determined in October was higher than August. During April and June, the meiofaunal communities at the shallow sites (i.e., ST 1, 2, and 3) were significantly different from the meiofaunal communities at deeper sites (ST 4, 5, and 6, p < 0.01). However, such spatial variation in the meiofaunal communities was not obvious in August and October. The most dominant meiofaunal taxa were harpacticoids, followed by nematodes and nauplius larvae. These three taxa accounted for 90% of the total meiofauna density. Abundance of harpacticoids and nematodes showed a significantly negative correlation with the water depth. BIO-ENV analysis indicated that the total organic nitrogen (TON) and the water temperature exerted a significant influence over the meiofaunal communities at the sampling sites.