Abundance and Diversity of Meiofaunal Organisms at Different Habitats of the Wadden Sea (Sylt)

Meiofaunal organisms play a crucial role in marine ecosystems of the Wadden Sea. These organisms are good indicators of environmental disturbances in the various habitats they occupy, such as sand flats, harbours, mudflats, or oyster beds. These different habitats contain different grain sizes, which influence the oxygenation of the sediments. Therefore we investigated the diversity and abundance of meiofaunal organisms in these different locations. The study involved soil sampling from these areas, using an Uhlig-Apparatus to extract the organisms followed by counting and identifying them under a dissecting microscope. We limited our focus to identifying phyla, successfully identifying eleven distinct ones. The mudflats showed the lowest diversity and abundance due the challenging environmental conditions. Sand flats, oyster beds and harbour displayed a higher abundance and diversity providing better conditions for meiofaunal communities.