Coastal Zones

Biography

Biography: Murat Sezgin

Abstract

Metazooan meiofauna are defined by their body size (44-1000 µm) and are the most diversified element of the marine biota: as many as 24 of the 35 animal phyla have meiobenthic representatives which live in meiofauna, whether for all their life or just temporarily. It is the most abundant benthic group in the marine realm, the function of meiofauna in marine benthic systems seems to be much more complex than previously supposed, and requires further research. The use of meiofauna as a biological indicatoris a more recent development than the utilization of macrofauna in the assessment and monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. The advantages of the former are numerous and strongly emphasized by many scientists, while some of the arguments traditionally advanced against their use underline difficulties in identification, the high rate of sampling frequency and the microscopic size of these organisms. However, new technologies and tools, such as standardized methodologies, electronic identification keys, molecular approaches and the creation of new indices, currently allow for and promote the use of meiofauna in ecological studies. Whilst less is currently known about meiofaunal responses to pollutants, they have certain inherent advantages over the macrofauna in the determination of the biological effects of pollutants at the community level. Meiofaunal communities are inherently more stable, both qualitatively and quantitatlvely, on a seasonal and year-to-year basis, than those of the macrofauna, and it is obviously easier to monitor temporal changes in community structure from a stable rather than a fluctuating baseline. The meiofauna are abundant and diverse even in habitats, such as estuaries, which are subjected to considerable natural physical and chemical stress and where only a small numbers of macrofauna species occurs.