| Nothing is known about the structure of free-living marine nematode communities in the high Antarctic. Our attempt at surveying this numerically most abundant meiobenthic taxon along the continental shelf and slope (200 to 2000 m) furnished information on generic, trophic and age composition in 2 regions in the Weddell Sea (Kapp Norvegia, 6 stations, 71-72°S, 12-13°W; Halley Bay, 11 stations, 74-75°S, 25-29°W). A total of 7300 nematode identifications to generic level were analyzed by means of a variety of statistical techniques. The spatial structure indicated the existence of 4 major nematode genus associations colonizing the upper slope, downslope, Halley shelf and a mixed habitat consisting of shelf break and Kapp Norvegia shelf. Dominated by genera... |
