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UPV Theses and Dissertations

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    Habitat-type and temporal comparison of the meiobenthic composition of Taklong Island National Marine Reserve
    Burgos, Lorelie A. (Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2009-03)
    Meiofauna are very important indicators of human disturbances in the natural ecosystem. It plays a major role in the primary production, rapid nutrient cycling and other benthic chemical processes. Knowledge regarding marine benthic communities is scarce and is limited only to temperate regions. Moreover, only a few have been conducted in the Philippines, while no studies have been conducted in the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, so this serves as the baseline for further studies to be conducted in the place. This study provides a characterization of the spatial and temporal distribution of meiobenthic fauna in the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve. Specifically, the study aimed to compare the composition of meiobenthic infauna in different habitat types and to examine changes in their abundance and distribution from 4, 16 and 26 weeks after the oil spill. Meiobenthic samples were collected in Taklong Island National Marine Reserve during the Rapid and Monitoring Phases of the Benthos Project of the UPV Oil Spill Response Program. Surveys were conducted in September 2 and November 23, 2006 and February 9 2007, respectively 4, 16 and 26 weeks after the spill. Nine stations within the area were chosen based on the station grid for the biological surveys. A total of 20 taxa were identified, with nematodes being numerically dominant. It also showed the highest mean abundance in all the sampling period and for the entire habitat type. The over all mean density was (80276.71494 ind. m2, SD =19988.37), with the highest peak in February 20072007 which is 26 weeks after the oil spill (143,508.4 ind/m2). And the lowest density was recorded in the month of September 2006, 4 weeks after the oil spill (47,205.43 ind. m2). For the habitat type soft bottom has the highest recorded mean density in the entire sampling period. For the temporal variation food source, organic matter and temperature dictates the changes in distribution of meiofauna but in the study it mostly because of the oil spill happened before the sampling period.
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    Influence of tidal levels on meiofaunal communities in a rocky shore area in Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Guimaras
    Barbasa, Maria Carla A. (Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2013-04)
    Rocky shores present an exuberant richness of life, which can be attributed to the hard substrate provided by rocks, necessary for the attachment of sessile organisms. There are many factors affecting community structure in rocky shores, including tidal levels. Tidal levels affect communities by periodically exposing them to air, causing drying up and dessication. Among those affected are meiofauna. Meiofauna in rocky shores are the least studied of all habitats, thus this study serves as baseline information regarding meiofauna in rocky shores, particularly in TINMAR, and how tidal levels affect them. Sorting and identification of meiofauna from 18 samples (5 TST, 5 TLT, 4 TMT, 4 THT) yielded 17 identified taxa, with Harpacticoids being numerically dominant followed by Tanaids (Copepods) and Polychaetes. Mean meiofaunal abundance was found to higher in lower tides (low and sub-tide), but differences were not statistically significant. A similar lack of significant differences between transects was shown for abundances of all and common taxa in edge or mid-section quadrats, although abundances appeared to be higher in low and sub-tidal transects. Cluster analyses based on similarities in abundance of taxa in the transect quadrats showed which asemblages are characteristic of mid- and high tide levels (Insect larvae and Sipunculids). Nematodes, which are typically dominant in soft-bottom substrates, were also most abundant in the upper intertidal in the present study. Other taxa like Tanaids, on the other hand, were more abundant in the low intertidal and subtidal transects. Harpacticoids were observed to be dominant in higher tides.