Methodology/work description

1
BIODEEP IMBC involvement
WP 3 Analysis of the species diversity,
community structure and phylogeny of
micro-organisms and meiofauna in Mediterranean
Deep Hypersaline Anoxic Brines (DHAB)

• Methodology/work description
• Meiofaunal and macrofaunal community structure
  (abundance, biomass, species composition and
  diversity) within the DHABs and along an
  oxic-anoxic gradient
• Comparison of benthic communities among the
  various DHABs and with those from adjacent
  sediments outside the influence of DHABs, as well
  as with those from other reduced environments
• Identify specific morphpological and
  physiological adaptations of different meiofaunal
  and macrofaunal groups

2
Sediment chemistry b.w.nutrients
basin
station code
location
samples
POC/Chl a
Eh
b.w.nutr.
3
Meiobenthos (foraminifera metazoa)
basin
station code
location
samples
4
Macrofauna
station code
location
samples
basin
5
Chloroplastic pigments (0-0.3cm) Out of DHABs
6
Organic Carbon (0-0.3cm, wet oxidation) Out of
DHABs
7
Meiofaunal abundance (gt32µm, 0-6cm) out of DHABs
12-43 indiv 10cm-2
8
Outside the influence of the brines
9
Organic carbon within the DHABs
OC (wet oxidation)
depth in sed (cm)
Discovery
L' Atalante
Urania
Bannock
10
Carbon mineralization within the DHABs
µmol day-1 ml-1
depth in sed (cm)
Discovery basin
L' Atalante basin
Urania basin
Bannock basin
11
Meiofauna within the DHABs community structrure
12
In the brines
Allogromiidae foraminifera
Lucinidae / Vesicomyidae bivalves
gastropods
adapted (???) to the extreme characteristics of
the basins
13
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