Response of nematode community structure to hypoxia in an enclosed coastal sea, Omura Bay, for three consecutive years

Hypoxia in bottom environments of coastal marine ecosystems is a serious problem adversely affecting both benthic life and local fisheries. In this study, we monitored abundance, composition, and feeding types of nematode communities under pre-, mid-, and post-hypoxic conditions in Omura Bay, Nagasaki, Japan, for three consecutive years (2013-2015). The bay is almost completely enclosed, and experiences hypoxia at the bottom every summer. A positive correlation was found between dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and nematode abundance over the entire sampling period (p3 mg L?1). These findings will help us to understand how global trends of ocean deoxygenation could shape the meiobenthic community and alter benthic ecosystem functioning in coastal areas.
Plankton and Benthos Research, 13(2), pp.59-65; 2018