Seasonal distribution of the littoral interstitial meiofauna in the northern Red Sea, Egypt

Meiofaunal composition, distribution and seasonal abundance in the northern Egyptian Red Sea were studied during the period from spring 2006 to winter 2007. Significant seasonal variation in the density was recorded (P 0.001) and ranged between 100 and 130 organisms/10 cm2. The meiofaunal assemblage in the area of study was well diversified including 141 species. The principal taxonomic groups were free living Nematoda (68%) followed by Harpacticoida (12%), Polychaeta (10%) and Ostracoda (4%) in term of their densities. The exposure to wave actions and the sediment characteristics were the most important factors for structuring the meiofaunal community.