Distribution of meiofaunal abundance in relation to environmental factors in Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

• Published in: Acta oceanologica Sinica 2012-11, Vol.31 (6), p.92-103
• Main Authors: Cai, Lizhe, Fu, Sujing, Yang, Jie, Zhou, Xiping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Benthos; Chlorophyll; Chlorophyll a; Clay; Climatology; Correlation analysis; Dissolved oxygen; Distribution; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ecology; Engineering Fluid Dynamics; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental factors; Investigations; Marine; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Meiobenthos; Meiofauna; Oceanography; Salinity; Salinity effects; Sediments; Water depth; Water temperature; 中国南海; 丰度分布; 北部湾; 小型动物; 正相关关系; 环境因子; 环境因素; 粘土含量
• ISSN: 0253-505X; 1869-1099
• DOI: 10.1007/s13131-012-0256-2

This study aims to explore the distribution of meiofaunal abundance in relation to environmental factors in the Beibu Gulf, a natural semi-enclosed part of the South China Sea, surrounded by China and Vietnam. Meiofauna and ten benthic environmental factors were determined at 27 sampling stations in the Beibu Gulf in four surveys during 2006 2007. The results show a clear geographical trend in meiofaunal abundance, water depth, salinity and clay content. The meiofaunal abundance and the clay content decreased, whereas the water depth and the salinity increased from the north to the south of the Gulf. The percentage of meiofaunal abundance in the 0 2 cm layer increased, whereas in the 2-5 cm and 5 10 cm layers it decreased from the north to the south of the Gulf. Correlation analysis show significant negative correlations between meiofaunal abundance and water depth, benthic temperature, salinity and pH, but significant positive correlations between meiofaunal abundance and dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and clay content.