Although of high abundance, diversity and ecological importance,
meiofauna is little covered by relevant scientific media. How can this
negligence be overcome? The present treatise highlights promising
meiofauna research fields, selected both from basic and applied science,
as well as new methods that could strengthen the potential of
meiobenthology. Selected recent meiofauna studies, often supported by
rapidly advancing gene-based methods, underline the relevance and
potential of meiobenthology revealing characteristics and harassments of
ecosystems, not the least in extreme habitats. Also in the more
classical domains such as taxonomy and phylogeny, progress in
meiobenthos research defines a new and deeper scientific
understanding.