Abstract
The impact of oxygen on the vertical distribution of an intertidal nematode community was investigated in a manipulation experiment with sediments collected from the Oosterschelde (The Netherlands). The vertical distribution of nematodes was examined in response to sediment inversion in perspex cores with or without the presence of an air-flushed silicone tube introducing oxygen to the bottom sediment layer. Following an incubation of 1 week, peak densities of nematodes were recorded in the deep layers of the sediment in cores with subsurface oxygenation. In contrast, this concentration of nematodes was absent in the cores that lacked bottom oxygenation and the majority of the total assemblage was still located in anoxic sediment layers. This suggests that oxidised sediments with traces of oxygen represent favourable conditions for nematodes and indicates that these nematodes are tolerant to short-term anoxia and burial. Observations on the species level suggest that oxygenation, primarily through its direct impact on geochemical properties of the sediment, may be an important factor governing the subsurface activity of nematodes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
W. H. Berger F. L. Parker (1970) ArticleTitleDiversity of planktonic Foraminifera in deep-sea sediments Science 168 1345–1347
J. M. Bernhard E. Alve A. A. Reilly (1996) ArticleTitleResponse to the comment by Moodley et al Marine Ecology Progress Series 145 305–307
L. A. Bouwman K. Romeyn D. R. Kremer F. B. Van Es (1984) ArticleTitleOccurrence and feeding biology of some nematode species in estuarine aufwuchscommunities Cahiers de Biologie Marine de Roscoff 25 287–303
C. Heip M. Vincx G. Vranken (1985) ArticleTitleThe ecology of marine nematodes Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 23 399–489
M. Hendelberg J. Jensen (1993) ArticleTitleVertical distribution of the nematode fauna in a coastal sediment influenced by seasonal hypoxia in the bottom water Ophelia 37 83–94
O. Giere (1993) Meiobenthology. The Microscopic Fauna in Aquatic Sediments Springer-Verlag Berlin
P. Jensen (1981) ArticleTitleSpecies distribution and a microhabitat theory for marine mud dwelling Comesomatidae (Nematoda) in European waters Hydrobiologia 108 201–217
P. Jensen (1987) ArticleTitleDifferences in microhabitat, abundance, biomass and body size between oxybiotic and thiobiotic free-living marine nematodes Oecologia 71 564–567 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00379298
I. R. Joint J. M. Gee R. M. Warwick (1982) ArticleTitleDetermination of fine-scale vertical distribution of microbes and meiofauna in an intertidal sediment Marine Biology 72 157–164 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00396916
L. Lohse H. F. P. Malschaert C. P. Slomp W. Helder W. Van Raaphorst (1995) ArticleTitleSediment-water fluxes of inorganic nitrogen compounds along the transport of organic matter in the North Sea Ophelia 41 173–197
B. McCune M. J. Mefford (1999) Multivariate analysis of ecological data MjM Software Gleneden Beach, Oregon, USA
M. B. Meyers F. Fossing E. N. Powell (1987) ArticleTitleMicrodistribution of interstitial meiofauna, oxygen and sulphide gradients, and the tubes of macro-infauna Marine Ecological Progress Series 35 223–241
M. B. Meyers E. N. Powell H. Fossing (1988) ArticleTitleMovement of oxybiotic and thiobiotic meiofauna in response to changes in pore-water oxygen and sulphide gradients around macro-infaunal tubes Marine Biology 98 395–414 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00391116 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL1cXkvFSjtLo%3D
H. Modig E. Ölafsson (1998) ArticleTitleResponses of Baltic benthic invertebrates to hypoxic events Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 229 133–148 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0022-0981(98)00043-4
L. Moodley G. J. Zwaan Particlevan Der G. M. W. Rutten R. C. E. Boom A. J. Kempers (1998) ArticleTitleSubsurface activity of benthic foraminifera in relation to pore water oxygen content: laboratory experiments Marine Micropaleontology 34 91–106 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0377-8398(97)00044-3
L. Moodley G. Chen C. Heip M. Vincx (2000) ArticleTitleVertical distribution of meiofauna in sediments from contrasting sites in the Adriatic Sea: clues to the role of abiotic versus biotic control Ophelia 53 IssueID3 203–212
C. Neira J. Sellanes L. A. Levin W. E. Arntz (2001) ArticleTitleMeiofaunal distributions on the Peru margin: relationship to oxygen and organic matter availability Deep-Sea Research 48 2453–2472 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0967-0637(01)00018-8 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXlslGmt74%3D
E. Ölafsson (1992) ArticleTitleSmall-scale spatial distribution of marine meiobenthos – The effects of decaying macrofauna Oecologia 90 37–42 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00317806
H. M. Platt P. J. D. Lambshead (1985) ArticleTitleNeutral model analysis of patterns of marine benthic species diversity Marine Ecology Progress Series 24 75–81
H. Rasmussen B. B. Jørgensen (1992) ArticleTitleMicroelectrode studies of seasonal oxygen uptake in a coastal sediment: role of molecular diffusion Marine Ecological Progress Series 81 289–303 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK38XlsFOiuro%3D
M. Schratzberger H. L. Rees S.E. Boyd (2000a) ArticleTitleEffects of simulated deposition of dredged material on structure of nematode assemblages – the role of burial Marine Biology 136 519–530 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002270050712
M. Schratzberger H.L. Rees S.E. Boyd (2000b) ArticleTitleEffects of simulated deposition of dredged material on structure of nematode assemblages – the role of contamination Marine Biology 137 613–622 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002270000386
K. Soetaert M. Vincx J. Wittoeck M. Tulkens D. Van Gansbeke (1994) ArticleTitleSpatial patterns of Westerschelde meiobenthos Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 39 367–388 Occurrence Handle10.1006/ecss.1994.1070
K. Soetaert J. Vanaverbeke C. Heip P. M. J. Herman J. J. Middelburg A. Sandee G. Duineveld (1997) ArticleTitleNematode distribution in ocean margin sediments of the Goban Spur (northeast Atlantic) in relation to sediment geochemistry Deep Sea Research I 44 1671–1683 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0967-0637(97)00043-5
M. Steyaert N. Garner D. Van Gansbeke M. Vincx (1999) ArticleTitleNematode communities from the North Sea: environmental controls on species diversity and vertical distribution within the sediment Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79 253–264 Occurrence Handle10.1017/S0025315498000289
M. Steyaert P. M. J. Herman T. Moens M. Vincx (2001) ArticleTitleVariation in depth distribution of a nematode community during a tidal cycle (Molenplaat, Westerschelde estuary, The Netherlands) Marine Ecology Progress Series 224 229–304
J. Vanaverbeke M. Steyaert A. Vanreusel M. Vincx (2003) ArticleTitleNematode biomass spectra as descriptors of functional changes due to human and natural impact Marine Ecology Progress Series 249 157–170
M. A. Wetzel A. Weber O. Giere (2002) ArticleTitleRe-colonization of anoxic/sulfidic sediments by marine nematodes after experimental removal of macroalgal cover Marine Biology 141 679–689 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00227-002-0863-0 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XnvVSgsLY%3D
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Steyaert, M., Moodley, L., Vanaverbeke, J. et al. Laboratory experiments on the infaunal activity of intertidal nematodes. Hydrobiologia 540, 217–223 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-7145-4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-7145-4