Seasonal changes of meiofauna assemblage at Hin Ploeng underwater pinnacle, Rayong Province, the Eastern Gulf of Thailand
Keywords:
diversity, Gulf of Thailand, meiofauna, sediment, underwater pinnacleAbstract
Meiofauna in sediments are important components of the seafloor, coral reefs, and associated ecosystems, playing vital roles in the marine benthic food web and biogeochemical cycles. Understanding the dynamics of meiofauna in marine ecosystems in Thailand is still limited, particularly in underwater pinnacle ecosystems. This study aims to examine the seasonal changes of meiofauna at Hin Ploeng, an underwater pinnacle located in Rayong Province, the Eastern Gulf of Thailand. The meiofauna samples were taken in both summer and rainy seasons using a PVC core of 3.5 cm diameter. Eighteen groups of meiofauna were found with the dominant groups of Foraminifera, Nematoda, Harpacticoida, Ostracoda, and Bivalvia. The abundance of most meiofauna (forams, nematodes, and gastropods) varied seasonally (p<0.05). The diversity of meiofauna in the rainy season (H′ = 0.43) was significantly higher than that in the summer season (H′ = 0.08) (p<0.05). This study provides crucial information on the meiofaunal assemblage from the underwater pinnacle sediments, suggesting that underwater pinnacles with diverse meiofauna have important ecological functions and processes in marine and coastal ecosystems.
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