01949nas a2200241   4500008004100000245007600041210006900117260006700186300001400253490000700267520114000274653002901414653001201443653001401455653001401469100002301483700002001506700002101526700001801547700002601565700001901591856009701610       2008                        eng d00aThe use of meiofauna diversity as an indicator of pollution in harbours0 ause of meiofauna diversity as an indicator of pollution in harbo  aGREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLANDbOXFORD UNIV PRESS  a1428-14350 v653 aWe assessed several meiofaunal indices in sediments of three Mediterranean harbours differing in environmental contamination to evaluate their usefulness as indicators of pollution and to identify those that best described environmental quality. In general, indicators based on meiofaunal taxa demonstrated a significant correlation with the concentration of contaminants, especially the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAHs). Nematode genus-based indicators correlated with contaminant concentrations at similar levels of significance, suggesting that a high taxonomic resolution does not improve the information content of meiofauna diversity indicators for assessing the environmental quality in these harbours. Notably, environmental variables that affect meiofaunal and nematode assemblages ( e. g. water depth, grain size, and food sources) demonstrated a low spatial and temporal variability in the harbours investigated and did not represent important confounding factors. We conclude that the application of meiofaunal and nematode indices can be a useful tool for assessing the environmental quality of harbour ecosystems.10aenvironmental indicators10aharbour10ameiofauna10anematodes1 aMoreno, Mariapaola1 aVezzulli, Luigi1 aMarin, Valentina1 aLaconi, Paola1 aAlbertelli, Giancarlo1 aFabiano, Mauro  uhttps://nematoda.myspecies.info/content/use-meiofauna-diversity-indicator-pollution-harbours