Metazoan meiofauna within the oxygen-minimum zone off Chile: Results of the 2001-PUCK expedition

Veit-Kohler, G; Gerdes, D; Quiroga, E.; Hebbeln D.; Sellanes J.

Abstract

A quantitative study of metazoan meiofauna was carried out at continental shelf and slope stations affected by the oxygen-minimum zone in the eastern South Pacific off Chile. Densities of meiobenthos at the investigated stations off Antofagasta (22°S), Concepción (36°S), and Chiloé (42°S) ranged from 1282.1 to 8847.8 ind 10 cm-2. Oxygen deficiency led only to average abundances, despite higher food availability and freshness at the corresponding sites. Sediment organic carbon, chlorophyll-a, and phaeopigment contents were used as measures of the input from water-column primary production, which accumulated at the oxygen-minimum zone stations. The highest abundances were found at a station with an oxygen content of 0.79 mL L-1, which was slightly elevated from what is defined as oxygen minimum (0.5 mL L-1). The most oxygenated site yielded the lowest densities. Meiofauna assemblages became more diverse with increasing bottom-water oxygenation, whereas nematodes were the most abundant taxon at every station, followed by annelids, copepods, and nauplii. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Título según WOS: Metazoan meiofauna within the oxygen-minimum zone off Chile: Results of the 2001-PUCK expedition
Título según SCOPUS: Metazoan meiofauna within the oxygen-minimum zone off Chile: Results of the 2001-PUCK expedition
Título de la Revista: DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY
Volumen: 56
Número: 16
Editorial: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Fecha de publicación: 2009
Página de inicio: 1093
Página final: 1099
Idioma: English
URL: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0967064508003329
DOI:

10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.09.013

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS