Meiofauna are microscopic protists and invertebrates that live between the sediment grains, i.e., in the interstitial space. They are widespread, have a short lifespan and can display high taxonomic and functional diversity, which turn them ideal candidates to be used as model organisms in field and lab experiments, as well as in monitoring programs to evaluate human-induced disturbances.
In this project, we are going to use meiofauna to access the legacy effects of pollution on marine communities living in the present day. We aim to understand whether there are differences in recolonization trajectories between assemblages inhabiting historically polluted sediments from those inhabiting less disturbed areas, and how this could potentially affect beta-diversity and community structure.