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rom the shallows to the deep sea: What surprising ecological knowledge does the mysterious habitat of meiobenthos reveal
In marine or freshwater environments, a group of tiny benthic invertebrates called meiobenthos harbor mysterious ecological mysteries. The animals are characterized by their size, which is between tiny microorganisms and larger macroorganisms, and include thousands of individuals found in marine mud, such as nematodes, copepods, rotifers, water bears, and radial worms. Foot, etc. Research on these tiny organisms can reveal many undiscovered details of the marine ecosystem, and this field has attracted more and more scientists to explore in depth.
Meiobenthos has been studied since the 18th century, but the term was first introduced in 1942 by marine biologist Molly Mare.
Meiobenthos’ living environment
Meiobenthos can be observed in a variety of sedimentary environments from shallow to deep sea. It not only lives in sandy and muddy seafloor, but also grows on hard substrates such as algae, water plants and plants attached to other Biological communities on organisms. These diverse habitats provide a variety of ecological niches, making meiobenthos an important link in the food chain.In marine environments, thousands of meiobenthos individuals can be found in 10 cubic centimeters of sediment, demonstrating its abundance in ecosystems.
Sampling Methodology
To conduct a survey for meiobenthos, the sampling method scientists use depends on the context of the study and whether quantitative or qualitative samples are needed. In shallow water areas, common tools such as buckets and shovels can effectively capture samples. In deeper waters, some grappling devices, such as the Van Veen grapple, must be used and a finer mesh is required to sample in order to retain the meiobenthos.
In shallow waters, the simplest sampling tool is a plastic syringe that can be used as a piston sampler and can be used by diving.
Extraction Methodology
Once sampling was complete, the next challenge was to extract the meiobenthos from the sample. The process depends on whether the sample is living or fixed. For live meiobenthos, common methods include osmotic shock, immersion in anesthetics, or capture using the ice water method.
Osmotic shock works well with marine samples, by immersing the specimen in fresh water for a few seconds to induce the organisms to loosen their grip.
In addition, for the organisms extracted from fixed samples, scientists use dehydration or flotation, which works better in coarse-grained sediments. For both coarse-grained and fine-grained sediments, multiple extraction repeats are usually required to ensure that at least 95% of the meiobenthos is extracted.
Ecological importance of meiobenthos
The presence of meiobenthos is very important for the ecosystem. Not only are they important links in the food chain, they also play a key role in the biogeochemical cycling of sediments and the health of benthic ecosystems. By gaining a deeper understanding of these tiny organisms, scientists hope to reveal how changes in aquatic environments affect ecosystems.
The meiobenthos ecosystem in the deep sea may be one of the least explored ecological environments at present, hiding many ecological secrets to be discovered.
Future Research Directions
As technology advances, future studies may provide a deeper understanding of meiobenthos' behavior, ecological interactions, and physiological characteristics. It is worth noting that climate change and human activities are increasingly affecting water bodies, which may pose urgent challenges to meiobenthos and their environment.
Over the past few decades, knowledge of meiobenthos has continued to grow, and future research could shed further light on the roles these tiny creatures play in ecosystem stability. Understanding how these tiny organisms respond to environmental changes is critical to protecting and managing our water resources.
These mysterious benthic creatures play an indispensable role in the marine ecosystem. Should we also explore in more depth the lives of miobenthos and their more complex interactions with the ecosystem?
