STUDY OF MEIOFAUNA DIVERSITY OF MORVA SALT MARSH THANE

Abstract

Abstract: The meiofaunal community in the Morva salt marsh consists of ten taxonomic groups. Among these, nematodes were the most abundant, contributing 63.02% of the total population, followed by harpacticoid copepods (16.24%), turbellarians (7.50%), crustacean nauplii (3.18%), and polychaetes (6.30%). The overall population density ranged from 444 to 13,723.52 individuals per (10 cm)², with an average density of 3,480.33 individuals per (10 cm)². A significant proportion over 60% of the organisms were concentrated within the upper 5 cm of the sediment. The major taxonomic groups exhibited a clumped distribution pattern. Variations in meiofaunal abundance and distribution were largely governed by environmental factors such as salinity, dissolved oxygen levels, and food availability.