Macro And Meiofaunal Abundance In Six Sandy Beaches Of Lakshadweep Islands

Abstract

The macro and meiofauna were investigated quantitatively. Of the 8 macrofaunal taxa recorded, the polychaetes and crustaceans made up the bulk of the population and biomass on all beaches. Total macrofaunal density varied from 71 to 3157.m^-2 and biomass from 5.22 to 325.1 g.m^-2. High meiofaunal density (2620-6555.10 cm^-2) was recorded at most of the beaches and these were made up mainly of nematodes (46.7%) and benthic copepodes (23.7%). On all beaches the meiofauna tended to be concentrated at those tide levels where no high degree of desiccation of the sand occurred. Macrofauna and meiofauna biomass were extrapolated to 1 m transect of beach giving macrofaunal values of 26.12 to 975 g. (1 m transect)^-1 and meiofaunal values of 295.7 to 794.5 g. (1 m transect)^-1. Based on biomass, meiofauna contributed more than 50% to the total production on all the beaches. The macrofauna/meiofauna ratio gave low values indicating the dominance of meiofauna on all beaches.