02139nas a2200229   4500008004100000245008600041210006900127260008000196300001000276490000700286520127800293653001801571653002401589653002101613100002501634700002401659700002501683700002701708700002601735700002901761856011901790       2009                        eng d00aSpatial and temporal variations of meiofaunal communities in Cienfuegos Bay, Cuba0 aSpatial and temporal variations of meiofaunal communities in Cie  aCASILLA 13-D, VINA DEL MAR, 00000, CHILEbINST OCEANOLOGIA, UNIV VALPARAISO  a13-220 v443 aThe community structure of meiofauna was studied in 16 subtidal sampling stations and in four months in Cienfuegos Bay, Cuba for describing their patterns of distribution, as well as their possible causes. Silt/clay (S/C) and organic matter (OM) contents in sediment were positively correlated, and their changes were related to spatial variation of sedimentary environment across stations. The narrow range of interstitial salinity suggests a slight effect on meiofauna even when changes of surficial salinity occurred. Density and number of taxa changed among dry and wet seasons plausibly as a response to hypoxic conditions due to water stratification in the wet season. Negative relationships were recorded among S/C and OM with meiofaunal densities possibly due to restrictive effects of accumulation and oxidation of organic matter. Physical disturbance appears to be a main process affecting meiofauna in some shallow stations subjected to strong waving and tidal currents. No any single ecological factor explains the large spatial variability of meiofaunal communities in the whole bay; a combination of several processes like distribution of primary production, stratification/mixing of the water column and physical disturbance probably is occurring in the bay.10aCaribbean Sea10acommunity structure10aSpatial patterns1 aDiaz-Asencio, Lisbet1 aArmenteros, Maickel1 aDiaz-Asencio, Misael1 aFernandez-Garces, Raul1 aGomez-Batista, Miguel1 aAlonso-Hernandez, Carlos  uhttps://nematoda.myspecies.info/content/spatial-and-temporal-variations-meiofaunal-communities-cienfuegos-bay-cuba