Meiofauna of the Adriatic Sea: present knowledge and future perspectives

Abstract

Owing to technical problems and difficult taxonomic identification, meiofauna have been generally less studied than macrofauna. However, the role of meiofauna in marine ecosystem functioning, and their effective and rapid response to anthropogenic alterations and climatic changes have recently been acknowledged, leading to increasing scientific and applied interest. At present, systematic and biogeographic knowledge of the meiofauna of the Adriatic Sea is extremely heterogeneous, because most of the data are limited to a few taxa and the sampled areas are scattered, being located mainly in the coastal areas of the northern basin. Analysis of the composition and distribution of meiobenthic groups in the Adriatic Sea highlights the presence of several endemisms. Meiofauna also include bioindicator taxa, which allow assessment of the quality of marine sediments; this is particularly useful in systems characterised by the synergistic effect of different forms of anthropogenic impact, such as the Adriatic basin. Current knowledge about the ecology of the meiofauna and use of this component in applied ecological studies, along with the availability of a standardised protocol for the analysis of meiofaunal assemblages, allows us to recommend formal acknowledgement of the need to integrate information derived from the analysis of macrofauna with information derived from the study of meiofauna. Future research based on the simultaneous use of both of these benthic components will allow faster and more accurate evaluation of the response of coastal marine ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbanc

The Port of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea)—A Case Study of the “Ecosystem Approach to Management”

“…When comparing similar sampling periods (i.e., June), abundances were even more alike, suggesting that sediment contamination, especially at St. 2 and 3, did not seem to severely affect total meiofaunal numbers. The community, dominated by nematodes and copepods as in most coastal areas of the Adriatic Sea (Balsamo et al, 2010), reflected the composition already reported for the Gulf of Trieste (Cibic et al, 2009). Compared to the stations inside the port area, the highest number of meiofaunal groups (n = 10) was reported at St. C1, suggesting the presence of a more structured community at the reference station.…”

“…Indeed, among the physical variables, grain size is considered one of the most important factors influencing the colonization of sediments by benthic organisms at different trophic levels, from microphytobenthos (Round et al, 1992) to meiofauna (Balsamo et al, 2010) and macrofauna (Solis-Weiss et al, 2004). Within the port area, St. 6 differed from the other stations primarily by its reduced depth (8.5 m) and a higher percentage of sand (about 40%) that favored high macrofaunal abundances.…”

Meio- and macrofauna in the marine area of the Monte St. Bartolo Natural Park (Central Adriatic Sea, Italy)

“…Moreover, well-documented habitat destruction, over-fishing, water pollution and eutrophication, species introduction, and climatic changes make the Mediterranean a key area for studying the influence of natural and anthropogenic changes on biodiversity . In the Adriatic Sea, which is a closed basin, these changes may even be enhanced, leading to its greater vulnerability (Balsamo et al 2010). Protection and management programmes are required to conserve the coastal areas and their communities, with a special focus on the most sensitive and vulnerable environments.…”

The nematode assemblage of a coastal lagoon (Lake Varano, southern Italy): ecology and biodiversity patterns

“…Free-living nematodes are the most diverse and numerically dominant metazoans in aquatic ecosystems (Balsamo et al 2010, Appeltans et al 2012). This phylum is particularly important for studying TEs due to its ability to persist during environmental perturbations which may reduce or eliminate macrofauna (Hendelberg and Jensen 1993).…”