2016 - Study On The Meiofauna Community Structure in
2016 - Study On The Meiofauna Community Structure in
2016 - Study On The Meiofauna Community Structure in
http://www.scirp.org/journal/oje
ISSN Online: 2162-1993
ISSN Print: 2162-1985
Tahmineh Taheri Dezfouli1, Seyed Mohammad Bagher Nabavi2, Ebrahim Rajabzadeh Ghatromi3,
Nooshin Sajjadi4
1
Islamic Azad University, North Tehran branch, Tehran, Iran
2
Faculty of Marine Sciences, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Iran
3
Department of Natural Resources, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Iran
4
School of Marine Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
Keywords
Meiofauna, Benthic, Sajafi Area, Bio-Indicator, Persian Gulf
1. Introduction
Since human health depends on moving, development and application of ecosystems,
loss of ecosystem components such as clean air, potable water and more, tightly focused
our attention on the health of natural ecosystems. As almost all species can tolerate only
a limited range of changes in chemical, physical and biological conditions, they tend to
assess the quality of the environmental parameters [1]. Meiofauna formed one of the
major groups of benthic metazoan organisms, larger than 100 microns and smaller than
500 micrometers, in the bed of oceans and seas, 82 percent of which are present at the 3
cm surface of the substrate [2]. They are most diversified elements of the marine biota
[3].
Benthic Meiofauna are important members of coastal ecosystems and estuaries that
fed by micro Algal and bacteria, affect the primary production cycle and bio minerali-
zation and other parts of benthic metabolism [4]-[8]. Due to great abundance, low mo-
bility, rapid replication, short life cycle, and extreme sensitivity to entering materials,
Meiofauna are most appropriate bio-indicators of health of the marine environment [9]
[10]. The major groups of benthic Meiofauna are Foraminifera, Ostracoda, Nematoda,
Gastropoda, bivalve’s larvae, larval shellfish, foam kits, and tube worms.
Meiofauna’s close relationship with the environment wherein they grow, considered
them as an important tool for biomonitoring the environmental parameters such as
temperature, salinity, substrate type and concentration of different elements in the wa-
ter and sediment [11] [12]. The presence of these organisms on the seabed is particu-
larly susceptible to stress-related deposits [13].
The overall objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using mei-
ofaunal benthic communities as a bio-indicator of environmental pollution. By com-
paring the diversity in different areas, environmental situation and potential contami-
nation of the region can be realized [14].
Drawing a clear picture of the environmental situation in the Persian Gulf due to in-
creased tanker traffic, release of ballast water, exposure to many environmental threats,
always was a concern for environmentalists. The Persian Gulf is a marginal basin in the
extreme northwest of the Indian Ocean, affected mainly by the extra-tropical weather
systems from the northwest [15]. The most well-known weather phenomenon is the
Shamal, a Northwest wind which occurs year round [16] [17]. Water retention time in
the Persian Gulf is estimated between 2 and 5 years [18]. The salinity ranges between 27
and 41 mg/l by temperature more than 20˚C [19] [20]. Because of high evaporation,
and therefore high salinity, surface sediments in Persian Gulf become smaller from the
beach to the depth. Limestone marl is the recent deepest facies of Persian Gulf [21].
Sajafi area in the northern Persian Gulf (Figure 1) biologically has some features that
cause certain plant and animal communities in the region to be seen.
[22] had studied the distribution of Meiofauna in the south coast of East India. The
results show that human disturbances and pollution influence species diversity in coastal
intertidal areas. They study Meiofauna that can be important indicators of overall prod-
uctivity of fish. [23] had introduced Meiofauna as a tool for the study of marine eco-
systems. [24] had evaluated several indicators of Meiofauna in the sediments of three
Mediterranean harbors with different environmental conditions in order to estimate the
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effectiveness and identify the types of pollution index that describes better the quality of
the environment. The relationship between indices based on specific taxa Meiofauna
with pollutant concentrations, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has
been accessed [25] and provided a report on the Meiofauna in protected Mangrove fo-
rests area in the Persian Gulf. The results showed that the foraminifera were dominant
societies. [26] conducted a qualitative study on Mayobentoz in the Persian Gulf. In a
qualitative study on nematodes, then, Foraminifera, Cope Poda, Polychaeta and Oligo-
chaeta were dominant, respectively.
Meiofauna’s rich and diverse communities in this study show that they can be used in
the future plans of environmental monitoring, marine pollution and study the food chain.
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stations in each, a satellite positioning system (GPS) was used (Table 1).
First, surface sediment was sampled at each station with a Van Veen Grab cross-
section 0.025 square meters. Then, with the cylindrical in diameter and height of 3 cm,
sediment sampling with three replications was conducted.
To prevent the corruption of living species, the samples were fixed in formalin 5% to
reach up to the lab were stored in polyethylene containers. Water from the adjacent
seabed at each station immediately picked up and by the sensors of environmental pa-
rameters, temperature, salinity, DO and pH were measured in the field, each with three
replications. A sample from each station, about 200 to 300 grams wet sediment in sepa-
rate polyethylene containers for grain study and the total organic matter (TOM) sedi-
ments were removed and kept in plastic bags and transported to the laboratory on ice.
To measure the total amount of organic matter in sediments, combustion method [27]
were used. The standard method to determine the grain size distributions of passing a
series of sieves [28] was used.
To extract Meiofauna in the laboratory, the stabilized sediments by using a sieve of
5.0 and 63 microns (5.0 mm sieve above and below 63 microns) were washed and then
Meiofauna samples were stained by 1 gram per liter solution of Rose Bengal. In order to
isolate shellfish Meiofauna, the container to container method was used and samples
were identified and counted by optical microscopy [29]. All Meiofauna were identified
to genus based on the pictorial keys of [30], the online information system WoRMS
[30] [31].
In order to calculate the relationship between environmental factors and Meiofauna
density in all seasons and stations, basic statistical correlation coefficient is used. Statis-
tical analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS (version 19). Differences between
controls and treatments were compared by parametric one-way ANOVA tests (signi-
ficance level of α = 0.05). A posteriori paired multiple-comparisons were performed
Coordinate 39 R
Station
N E
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using Tukey HSD test. Relation between various metals was established via Pearson
correlation.
To calculate the species diversity and dominance the Shannon diversity index (H')
based on the natural logarithm (ln); N2 = 1/λ, where λ is Simpson’s dominance index;
to calculate the species richness Menhinic index and to express the species dispersal
among the area of study, the Hill’s evenness index was used respectively, all using the
PAST V.1 [1]-[15]. To realize the situation in the region in terms of diversity and pol-
lution, Welch model 1992 was used.
3. Results
With the aim of tracking the effects of pollution, identification as top groups (genus,
family, class, order) took place. In this study, a total of 56 species in the warm season
and, 48 species in the cool season belonging to 31 genera were observed, the highest
species diversity in foraminifera, gastropods and Ostracoda and Nematodes were seen.
The greatest number of species related to foraminifera and then high species diversity
belongs to Ostracoda and Gostropoda. Ammonia beccarii species in all stations were
abundant with a significant difference (p < 0.005) from other Meiofauna.
According to Figure 2, most frequency of Meiofauna in the warm season was in
T1S3 station and the lowest was observed in T2S2 station. In the cold season, a signifi-
cant difference can be seen in the first Transect stations, so that the highest frequency
and lowest was in T1S2, T1S1 respectively.
In all three transects studied in the warm season in 2014, DO and temperature were
not significantly different (p > 0.05). Water salinity in T3S1 station is less than other
stations. The average salinity from 0.31 ± 43.18 in the warm season to 0.18 ± 38.05 in
the cold season has been measured (Table 2). Changes in sampling sites showed signif-
icant differences in different seasons. In the cold season temperature and pH at three
stations (p > 0.05) were not significantly different. The highest percentage of aggregate
deposits was 0.063 > mm in the warm season in T2-S3 stations and the amount of 99.53%
and the lowest percentage in T3-S3 Station and the amount of 81.271%, respectively.
12000
chironomid
meifauna frequency ( per
10000
8000 Polychaeta
volume unit)
6000 Bivalvia
4000
Nematoda
2000
0 Copepoda
Gastropoda
Ostracoda
station Foraminifera
Figure 2. Comparison Meiofauna frequency separating in sampling sites in both summer and
winter seasons.
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Table 2. Mean environmental parameters, total organic matter content and aggregation stations
in the two warm and cold seasons.
Summer Winter
The highest percentage of aggregate deposits in the cold season was 0.063 > mm in
T3-S3 stations with the amount of 99.621% and the lowest percentage in the station
T1-S1 with the amount of 97.568%.
The mean percentage of total organic matter was obtained in the sediments in the
warm season 32.3 ± 72.15 and in the cold season 93.1 ± 16.12 (Table 2). There is a neg-
ative correlation between most Meiofauna species in winter with total organic matter
content (at 0.01 and 0.05), but in the hot season there is a negative correlation between
Bivalves and the percentage of total organic matter at 0.05 level (Table 3).
To show the correlation between Meiofauna frequency and organic matter in two
hot and cold seasons, in summer all stations had a negative correlation at 0.01 with
percentage of total organic matter (Table 4).
Among the three selected Transects the most dominance was in the T2 and the low-
est in T1, most indicators of diversity value among T1 and the lowest in T2, greatest
Menhinic enrichment and Hill evenness values in T2 and the lowest were seen in T1
(Table 5).
T1S1 station has the most dominance in summer (00.17) that the figure in winter
reduced to 00.11. In winter most dominant index in T1S2 station and approximately
was 00.4 that show a sharp increase in dominant and reducing the diversity in the hot
season. Shannon index at all stations between 1 and 3 were calculated at several stations
(stations T1S2 and T3S1 in summer) values above 3 obtained and conditions in the re-
gion in terms of pollution compared to the Welch model, partially semi-infected were
detected (Table 6). Diversity indices showed no correlation with any of the environ-
mental parameters.
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Table 3. Correlation between environmental parameters and frequency bands of Meiofauna in the cold season 2014 and warm season 2014.
Grain
Temperature EC DO pH TOM salinity
size < 0.063(%)
Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer
Foraminifera −0.050 00 −0.037 −0.373 0.151 −0.291 −0.223 −0.463* −0.439* −0.270 0.058 0.231 −0.109 0.016
Ostracoda −0.058 00 −0.037 −0.723** 0.15 0.013 −0.22 −0.685** 0.430* 0.074 0.057 0.083 0.295 −0.210
Gastropoda −0.332 00 0.008 −0.329 −0.151 −0.416* −0.093 −0.317 −0.013 −0.253 0.227 0.218 −0.601 0.004
Bivalvia 0.407* 00 −0.228 −0.228 −0.266 −0.266 −0.327 −0.327 −0.459* −0.459* 0.359 0.359 −0.298 0.17
Nematoda 0.292 00 −0.208 0.041 0.293 0.301 −0.145 0.190 −0.415* −0.274 0.096 0.162 −0.506 0.085
harpacticoida
0.112 00 0.010 −0.468* 0.313 0.165 −0.225 −0.198 −0.586** 0.138 −0.007 0.015 −0.692* 0.240
copepoda sp.
Table 4. Correlation between environmental parameters and frequency of Meiofauna in the cold and warm season 2014.
Grain
Salinity TOM pH DO EC Temperature
size < 0.063(%)
Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter
−0.977 0.254 0.183 −0.254 −0.803** −0.779** −0.095 −0.337 0.411 0.442 0.165 0.149 0/000 0.194 T1S1
0.308 0.853 0.149 0.286 −0.708** 0.276 −0.162 0.104 0.407 0.082 0.017 −0.120 0/000 −0.124 T1S2
0.267 0.588 0.217 −0.211 −0.759** −0.438 −0.110 −0.072 0.336 0.508* 0.081 0.099 0/000 0.313 T1S3
0.623 −0.752 0.161 −0.276 −0.744** −0.381 −0.072 0.039 0.362 0.520* 0.127 0.104 0/000 0.363 T2S1
−0.556 −0.981 0.360 −0.474* −0.732** −0.502* −0.099 0.053 0.391 0.586* 0.139 0.211 0/000 0.629** T2S2
−0.521 0.948 0.050 −0.236 −0.607** −0.441 0.073 −0.071 0.333 0.594** 0.102 0.183 0/000 0.619** T2S3
0.888 −0.01 0.384 −0.317 −0.815** −0.762** −0.096 −0.275 0.223 0.569* 0.085 0.187 0/000 0.401 T3S1
−0.708 0.818 0.285 −0.479* −0.707** −0.604** −0.131 −0.031 0.427 0.6090** 0.080 0.215 0/000 0.570* T3S2
−0.347 0.532 0.154 −0.392 −0.699** −0.570* −0.104 −0.045 0.460 0.638** 0.106 0.213 0/000 0.632** T3s3
Table 5. Evaluation of biological indicators in T1, T2, T3 transects in the winter 2014 and summer 2014.
Transect T1 T2 T3
index Winter Summer Winter Summer Winter Summer
Simpson dominance index 0.137 0.111 0.120 0.14 0.140 0.138
Simpson diversity index 0.862 0.888 0.879 0.86 0.859 0.868
Menhinick index 0.687 0.821 0.717 1.6 0.818 0.941
Shannon Wiener diversity
2.563 2.953 2.787 2.796 2.652 2.836
index
Hill evenness index 0.264 0.32 0.551 0.33 0.276 0.29
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Table 6. Compare diversity index stations with Welch model in winter and summer 2014.
Winter Summer
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applied. Comparing three transects in hot and cold weather, the highest Simpson do-
minance index value was observed in third transect that is closer to the mouth of the
Zohreh River and the lowest was in the first transect. Close to zero values of dominance
index and high value of of Shannon-Wiener diversity index H' (near to 3) represent the
high diversity in the region.
[30] in studying bivalves of Hendijan beaches reported most Shannon index value in
the summer (0.29) and the lowest in autumn (0.044) and investigated Meiofauna in
Naiband protected area in Persian Gulf (2008) maximum Shannon value 2.84 and
minimum H' to 1.421 obtained.
According to the results of Menhinic’s enrichment index the studying area has high
species richness. Hill’s evenness index shown the distribution of species was not ba-
lanced and tend to a species ( Ammonia Beccaria) was higher. Because of dominant
species was higher in summer, Simpson index showed the highest value obtained in this
chapter.
Dominance decreased with distance from the shoreline and diversity increased that
due to intertidal conditions in the region was expected. Meiofauna is one of the most
important communities of muddy sediment shores and are dependent on substrate
properties [33].
Differences in sediment texture of sampling stations may be the most important fac-
tors in these areas are in conflict with the distribution pattern of benthos [27]-[30]. In
this study, percent of silt and clay in winter is more than summer, that it could be due
to seasonal rainfall and runoff and sedimentation in the sea.
None of the species showed any significant correlation with sediment and homoge-
neous soft-bottom, so they’re not influencing factors on diversity of Meiofauna. The
main food source for benthic Meiofauna (except endosymbiotic species) is organic ma-
terials (particularly fragments) and all the bacterial communities on which they are re-
produced.
Increasing the amount of organic matter in coastal areas could increase the biomass
of the benthic Foraminifera [27]-[34]. Amount of organic material in Sajafi area sedi-
ments was high that’s probably because of the silt clay particle size in the region. Com-
paring reduction of organic matter in winter and summer can be due to primary pro-
ducers, reducing bacteria, activities of most of the creatures on the beach and being
smaller than the particle size in this season. [15] observed inverse relationship between
species richness and the amount of intertidal sediments organic matter in Bushehr.
A negative correlation was found between Meiofauna and TOM amount that can be
due to high levels of organic matter in sediments which affect the oxygen concentration
[14]. Depletion of dissolved oxygen in summer observed.
Physical and chemical parameters influence on the composition and density of ben-
thic environment. Totally the benthos population is controlled by a set of factors and
not only a single on that can be considered as the main factor involved in the distribu-
tion of these organisms [8]-[28].
In the study area, the temperature changes between stations are surprisingly limited
that it could be due to the close proximity to each sampling sites and not enough to
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have a significant effect on the distribution or Meiofauna density. But seasonal varia-
tions in temperature which has an impact on the amount of dissolved oxygen can cause
the differences in population structure and Meiofauna species composition. Meiofauna
communities in the cold season in four stations showed a positive correlation with
temperature. Since intertidal muddy shores are under the influence of weather condi-
tions such as drought and high heat rejection located, it could be created problems of
lack of oxygen in the surface layers of sediments [2]. The results of this study indicate
high levels of oxygen in the sediments. Reducing oxygen and increasing in salinity and
temperature in the summer is important that the dissolution of gases correspond with
chemical laws, as the amount of salinity and temperature will increase the solubility of
oxygen in water is reduced. Salinity in muddy beds shows fewer changes than the rest
of the context. Salinity between 43.3 - 38.4 in the ports of Hendijan measured by [29].
[5], considered the salinity and sediment structure as two significant factors influencing
the structure of Mayobentoz communities. In winter, most species showed significant
correlations with organic matter. In the warm season species richness and diversity in-
creased. New species of gastropods were observed and since the amount of organic
matter reduces the diversity and reduction in species diversity was observed in the cold
season.
Nematodes in the cold season were much more plentiful than the warm season. Ba-
bachahi [20] in Bushehr on the Soltani estuaries and Lashkari in Persian Gulf coast has
reported most frequency of Meiofauna in summer. [29] [30] in the Nayband coast have
reported seasonal changes in Meiofauna communities because of correlation with en-
vironmental factors. With increasing depth in the cold season, species richness in-
creased and in warm season decreased. This can be due to changing water temperature
and Plankton activity that are the food source of Meiofauna [31]-[34]. In the winter,
more fine-grain, reduced organic matter and increase dissolved oxygen was found. It
can be concluded that the amount of organic matter and sediments grain size are im-
portant in determining the diversity and dispersion of Meiofauna. Compared with the
Welch model, the area was found partially moderate and unpolluted, which it could be
due to region conditions and the river output. According to Ropme technical report in
the region, most physical pressures are demands of sailing activities and fishing. Finally,
the results of this study showed that the species diversity in intertidal Sajafi coasts, lo-
cated in the region Hendijan is high, indicating the relative stability of the environ-
ment. Diversity indices compared with similar regions had relatively high values. High
organic matter content affects the Meiofauna communities. Physical and chemical en-
vironmental parameters such as salinity and dissolved oxygen, distribution and diver-
sity of Meiofauna in Sajafi area have been influential and regional and seasonal changes
have led to significant differences in diversity of Meiofauna. So Meiofauna can be used
as a useful tool for monitoring the environmental situation in muddy shores.
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