Meiobenthology is the science of the tiny animals that live in huge
numbers in all aquatic sediments. This fully revised and enlarged second
edition emphasizes new discoveries and developments in this field. Major
progress has been made in three general areas: - Systematics, diversity
and distribution, - Ecology, food webs, and energy flow, - Environmental
aspects, including studies of anthropogenic impacts.
The meiobenthos of polar and tropical regions, deep-sea bottoms and
hydrothermal vents are now studied in more detail. The high number of
species found to survive under such extreme conditions puts them at the
forefront of biodiversity studies. Molecular screening methods enable
large numbers to be analyzed upon applying reasonable effort. The aim of
this book is to synthesize these modern scientific achievements such
that meiobenthology can play a key role in aquatic research and in
assessing the health of our environment.