Environmental Assessment Using the Marine Meiofauna: Current Knowledge, Open Questions and Future Directions

Dear Colleagues,

The term ‘Meiofauna’ evokes a hidden world of little critters with a huge biodiversity and wide variety of ecological strategies. It is estimated that 24 of the 35 animal phyla have meiobenthic representatives. In addition to meiobenthic animals, meio- sized protists such as benthic foraminifera are dominant benthic components and play a large role in the ecosystem functioning of certain environments. In the marine realm, meiofaunal organisms are ubiquitous, inhabiting practically all water–sediment interfaces. Peculiarities such as rapid growth, high turnover rates, high functional diversity, and the lack of larval dispersal make these organisms particularly useful bio-indicators for environmental quality assessments, even in severely polluted areas where macrobenthos might be scarce or absent. However, the operationalization of meiofauna in monitoring programs is still inhibited due to knowledge gaps in biodiversity, the necessity for standardized protocols, the lack of genetically vouchered taxonomic lists, and the relatively scant information on the ecosystem function and overall ecology of these organisms. In order to achieve this important goal, an agreed upon and well-thought integration of traditional methods with new technologies must be adopted.

This Special Issue aims to address these knowledge gaps through a collection of recent findings regarding the response of the meiofauna to anthropogenic impacts and other stressors through various multidisciplinary approaches (e.g., traditional methods, molecular and –omics technologies) and by considering new perspectives (e.g., meiofauna–microbiome interactions). Experimental studies are welcome, especially those focused on the meiofaunal response to emerging pollutants (e.g., pharmaceuticals and plastics). This collection will reinforce the practical utility of meiofauna as bioindicators. It will also help to establish a standardized approach to meiofaunal environmental quality assessments through the identification of knowledge gaps and the strengths and weaknesses of different methodological approaches.

Dr. Elisa Baldrighi
Bryan J. O'Malley
Guest Editors

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• marine meiofauna
• environmental quality assessment
• experiments
• sediment contamination
• bio-indicators