Abstract
The vertical distribution of meiofauna in the sediments of Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora mucronata and Sonneratia alba at Gazi Bay (Kenya), is described. Seventeen taxa were observed, with highest densities in the sediments of Bruguiera (6707 ind. 10 cm−2), followed by Rhizophora (3998 ind. 10 cm −2), Avicennia (3442 ind. 10 cm −2), Sonneratia (2889 ind. 10 cm−2) and Ceriops (1976 ind. 10 cm−2). Nematodes accounted for up to 95%, of total densities; other common taxa were copepods, turbellarians, oligochaetes, polychaetes, ostracods and rotifers. High densities occurred to about 20 cm depth in the sediment. Especially Ceriops sediments show still high densities of nematodes (342 ind. 10 cm−2) and copepods (11 ind. 10 cm−2) in the deepest layer (15–22 cm). Particle size and oxygen conditions were major factors influencing meiobenthic distribution; Uca burrows had a major impact on distribution and abundance of meiofauna.
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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Vanhove, S., Vincx, M., Van Gansbeke, D., Gijselinck, W., Schram, D. (1992). The meiobenthos of five mangrove vegetation types in Gazi Bay, Kenya. In: Jaccarini, V., Martens, E. (eds) The Ecology of Mangrove and Related Ecosystems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 80. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3288-8_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3288-8_10
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