Seamounts as potential stepping stones for the dispersal of meiobenthos. Comparative taxonomic, faunistic, and biogeographic studies of the Kinorhyncha from different seamounts and islands of the north eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean

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The here applied project is part of a comprehensive study on the potential role of seamounts for the dispersal of marine meiobenthic taxa. It intends to contribute to solving the problem of the meiofauna paradox. Based on small body size, lack of pelagic stages, and a strictly holobenthic life style, members of the meiobenthos are suggested to possess a limited potential for dispersal. Nevertheless, many representatives of the meiofauna do show a wide to cosmopolitan distribution in the world oceans at genus and even species level. During the past decades, seamounts have been studied more intensely, because they might play a role as stepping stones for the dispersal of such holobenthic taxa.Meiobenthos has been included into such studies just recently. Investigations focussed on a chorologic-faunistic comparison of taxa like Copepoda Harpacticoida, Halacarida, and Loricifera. It is necessary to extend the comparison to other meiobenthic taxa in order to come to more generalized conclusions for meiofauna. Kinorhyncha occur regularly in samples from seamounts but have not been studied in detail. The material of the here applied project originates from seven north east Atlantic and Mediterranean seamounts as well as from the islands Madeira and Porto Santo. For the first time, comprehensive material is therefore available for a meaningful comparative faunistic investigation of seamounts at a regional level. The applicants intend to undertake a quantitative taxonomic and multivariate analysis of the Kinorhyncha from the above mentioned locations. We shall focus on the questions (1) whether the seamounts and islands are characterized by an isolated kinorhynch lebensgemeinschaft with numerous endemic species or (2) whether the lebensgemeinschaften of different locations agree widely in their composition which may favour an exchange of species. Species from the Mediterranean mainland (Spain, Italy) will be included in the study. We expect to provide a major contribution to our understanding of the dispersal of meiobenthic taxa in the oceans in connection with our current examinations of Harpacticoida.