Ecological study on Meiofauna communities of Mele Gonze Mangrove forest in the north of the Persian Gulf

Because benthic invertebrate plenitude as bioindicator are used in marine monitoring, in order to ecological study on communities of Meiofauna of Mele Gonze Mangrove forest sampling carried out during warm and cold seasons from 3 stations with 3 different tidal levels. The results showed that totally 7 of toxons Meiofauna including Foraminifera, Ostracoda, Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Nematodes,Copepoda and Olichaeta are present in the region, that the highest density belongs to Nematoda, and then respectively they were Foraminifera, Ostracoda, Bivalvia, Copepoda, Gastropoda and Oligochaeta. Density of Meiofauna didn’t have any significant difference between summer and winter (P>0.05) But between stations the difference was significant (P<0.05). The percentage of total organic carbon in winter is high than in summer and between seasons and stations the difference was significant (P<0.05). Also throughout the year in station 1 from high tide to low tide was observed reduction of sediment total organic carbon but in 2 other stations this was the opposite. Results shows dominant silt-clay in station 1and then respectively station 2 and 3. The highest meiofauna density in two seasons in station 1and then in station 2 and 3 was observed. The given result of pearson correlation test showed that silt-clay sediments and total organic carbon have significant influence on Meiofauna density.