@article {Vanreusel:2010tg,
	title = {The contribution of deep-sea macrohabitat heterogeneity to global nematode diversity},
	journal = {Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective},
	volume = {31},
	year = {2010},
	pages = {6-20},
	publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC},
	address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA},
	abstract = {The great variety of geological and hydrological conditions in the deep sea generates many different habitats. Some are only recently explored, although their true extent and geographical coverage are still not fully established. Both continental margins and mid-oceanic seafloors are much more complex ecologically, geologically, chemically and hydrodynamically than originally thought. As a result, fundamental patterns of species distribution first observed and explained in the context of relatively monotonous slopes and abyssal plains must now be re-evaluated in the light of this newly recognized habitat heterogeneity. Based on a global database of nematode genus composition, collected as part of the Census of Marine Life, we show that macrohabitat heterogeneity contributes significantly to total deep-sea nematode diversity on a global scale. Different deep-sea settings harbour specific nematode assemblages. Some of them, like coral rubble zones or nodule areas, are very diverse habitats. Factors such as increased substrate complexity in the case of nodules and corals seem to facilitate the co-existence of a large number of genera with different modes of life, ranging from sediment dwelling to epifaunal. Furthermore, strong biochemical gradients in the case of vents or seeps are responsible for the success of particular genera, which are not prominent in more typical soft sediments. Many nematode deep-sea genera are cosmopolitan, inhabiting a variety of deep-sea habitats and oceans, whereas only 21\% of all deep-sea genera recorded are restricted to a single habitat. In addition to habitat heterogeneity, regional differences are important in structuring nematode assemblages. For instance, seeps from different regions yield different genera that thrive on the sulphidic sediments. This study also shows that many areas and habitats remain highly under-sampled, affecting our ability to understand fully the contribution of habitat heterogeneity versus regional differences to global nematode diversity.},
	keywords = {Biodiversity, census of marine life, deep sea, habitat heterogeneity, meiofauna, nematode genera},
	doi = {DOI 10.1111/j.1439-0485.2009.00352.x},
	author = {Vanreusel, Ann and Fonseca, Gustavo and Danovaro, Roberto and da Silva, Maria Cristina and Esteves, Andre M. and Ferrero, Tim and Gad, Gunnar and Galtsova, Valentina and Gambi, Cristina and Genevois, Veronica da Fonseca and Ingels, Jeroen and Ingole, Baban and Lampadariou, Nikolaos and Merckx, Bea and Miljutin, Dmitry and Miljutina, Maria and Muthumbi, Agnes and Netto, Sergio and Portnova, Daria and Radziejewska, Teresa and Raes, Maarten and Tchesunov, Alexei and Vanaverbeke, Jan and Van Gaever, Saskia and Venekey, Virag and Bezerra, Tania Nara and Flint, Hannah and Copley, John and Pape, Ellen and Zeppilli, Daniela and Martinez, Pedro Arbizu and Galeron, Joelle}
}
@article {Zeppilli:2009dn,
	title = {Meiofaunal diversity and assemblage structure in a shallow-water hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean},
	journal = {Aquatic Biology},
	volume = {5},
	year = {2009},
	pages = {75-84},
	publisher = {INTER-RESEARCH},
	address = {NORDBUNTE 23, D-21385 OLDENDORF LUHE, GERMANY},
	abstract = {Despite their ubiquitous distribution in tectonically active coastal zones, shallow-water vents have been much less explored than deep-sea vents in terms of biodiversity and adaptations to extreme conditions. We investigated the meiofaunal biodiversity and environmental variables at distances of 10, 100 and 200 cm from a shallow-water hydrothermal vent in the equatorial Pacific (Sulawesi, Indonesia). Meiofaunal abundance and the richness of higher taxa increased from the site of fluid-vent emission (where temperatures of the fluids and sediments reached approximately 90 degrees C) to the control sediments (200 cm from the vent, with no sign of effects from the vent fluids). Nematode species richness was also high in the intermediate station, where bottom sediment temperature reached 55 degrees C. These data suggest that some nematode species were able to survive in conditions typically hostile to metazoan life. Gas emissions also influenced the biochemical composition of the sediment organic matter in proximity to the vent and favoured the growth of a large photo- and/or chemo-autotrophic prokaryotic biomass. This biomass represented a potentially important. food source for predator/omnivore nematodes and influenced the trophic structure of benthic assemblages. Since the metazoan species found in proximity to the vent were a subset of those inhabiting control sediments, but were characterised by lower abundances, it might be hypothesized that the populations close to the vent are the result of colonization from adjacent areas.},
	keywords = {Extreme environments, Meiofaunal diversity, Shallow-water hydrothermal vent},
	doi = {DOI 10.3354/ab00140},
	author = {Zeppilli, Daniela and Danovaro, Roberto}
}
@article {Pusceddu:2009qd,
	title = {Organic matter composition, metazoan meiofauna and nematode biodiversity in Mediterranean deep-sea sediments},
	journal = {Deep-Sea Research Part Ii-Topical Studies In Oceanography},
	volume = {56},
	year = {2009},
	pages = {755-762},
	publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD},
	address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND},
	abstract = {To identify the relationships between the abundance and biodiversity of deep-sea meiofauna and their food resources in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean Sea), we have investigated the quantity and biochemical composition of sediment organic matter, the metazoan meiofauna abundance and biomass, and the nematode biodiversity at meso- (> 50 km) and/or local (< 1 km) scales. Sediment samples were collected at four deep-sea sites (from 3430 to 3581 m in depth), two of which were close to two seamounts. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences at both the meso- and local scales (i.e. between sites and between stations at each site), and showed that the variability at the mesoscale was much higher than that at the local scale. The values of all of the investigated variables were generally lowest in sediments surrounding the seamounts, suggesting a role for these submersed structures in the abundance of the metazoan meiofauna and their resources. The nematode assemblage composition changed significantly across the four sites. Among the 96 identified nematode species, 14 were exclusively seen in sediments around the two seamounts, and only three species were present at all sampling stations. Differences in the trophic structures of the nematode assemblages were also linked with differences in the biochemical composition of sediment organic matter. These results indicate that high beta-diversity in soft sediments around deep seamounts is associated with diversification of the benthic food webs, and suggest that while making the sediments poorer for food availability for benthic consumers, the presence of seamounts enhances the biodiversity in neighbouring sediments. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {Deep-sea sediments, Mediterranean Sea, meiofauna, nematodes, organic matter, Seamounts},
	doi = {DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.10.012},
	author = {Pusceddu, Antonio and Gambi, Cristina and Zeppilli, Daniela and Bianchelli, Silvia and Danovaro, Roberto}
}
