Baseline study of nematodes from a Patagonian salt marsh.

PASTOR DE WARD C. T; LO RUSSO., V.

Recife, 29th July - 3rd August,

Conferencia; THIRIMCO,13th International Meiofauna Conference,; 2007

Universidad de Recife

Resumen: Free-living marine nematodes are the most abundant and diverse metazoan in the coastal and oceanic benthos (Jensen, 1983a) especially in salt marsh or estuaries areas (mid density can be up reach 20 millon. m -2). Meiofauna organisms have a short life-span and a high turnover rate. And they are sensitive to environmental changes (Vincx and Heip, 1991). This feature makes them powerful bio indicator organisms. And scientist all around the world had been used them to monitor environments in last decades. In Argentina there are few studies regarding this issue.The aim of this works is to study the biodiversity and veritical distribution of the Nematoda community in the salt marsh of Fuerte San Jose Beach (42º 25? S and 64º 07? W), Golfo San José, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina (Figure 1) during summer and winter. Since little is known about the meiofauna community structure through the Argentinean coastline, this study could be use as a base line in future researches.