Response of meiofauna to immediate benthic disturbance in the Central Indian Ocean Basin

Abstract

Twenty-four stations (12 each, during pre- and postdisturbance studies) 5300 to 5330 m deep between 10 degrees 01 and 10 degrees 03'S latitude and between 75 degrees 59' and 76 degrees 02'E longitude were sampled to study the effect of benthic disturbance on the distribution of meiofauna in the Central Indian Ocean. Bottom-sampling was conducted with a box corer. Total meiofauna density ranged from 35 to 45 organisms per 10 cm sup(2) of bottom area during the predisturbance period and 21 to 32 organisms per 10 cm sup(2) during the postdisturbance period in the test and reference sites.