The hypothesis that, temporal variation in nematode abundance, community composition and trophic structure is coupled with changes in the quantity and quality of their potential food sources was tested.

The direct or indirect influence of a river plume on meiofaunal abundance and community composition was investigated in the North Adriatic Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea).

The meiofaunal abundance, biomass, community structure and nematode diversity were investigated in relation to the spatial distribution of the potential food sources in the Atacama trench and open slope (South Pacific Ocean).