Urkmez, DeryaSezgin, MuratKaracuha, Melek ErsoyOksuz, Ibrahim2025-03-232025-03-2320160006-30881336-9563https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0129https://hdl.handle.net/11486/5063Meiobenthic organisms were sampled for the first time from. Igneada coasts, Turkey (Western Black Sea) in order to provide a base-line study on the meiobenthic community structure of the sampling area. Meiobenthos was found to be composed of 12 higher taxonomical groups: Nematoda, Harpacticoida, Polychaeta, recent hard-shelled Foraminifera, soft-shelled Foraminifera, Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Ostracoda, Turbellaria, Oligochaeta, Nemertea and Acari. Meiobenthic community was dominated by nematodes, harpacticoid copepods and hard-shelled foraminifera in the study area. Fifty two species of Nematoda, fifteen species of Harpacticoida and twelve species of living hard-shelled Foraminifera were identified. Six nematode species (Bathylaimus australis, Bolbolaimus murinae, Neochromadora poecilosomoides, Neochromadora sabulicola, Oncholaimellus mediterraneus and Onyx perfectus) are reported for the first time from Turkey although they are known to occur at the central Turkish Black Sea. Total density of the meiobenthos ranged between 67-757 ind. 10 cm(-2) at stations. Nematodes showed densities ranging from 61 to 350 ind. 10 cm(-2) which represented 25-92% of the total meiobenthos. Since the terrestrial part of the region is protected as a National Park and the coastal part has been proposed as a marine protected area, research should be intensified on the fauna of. Igneada coastal waters to clarify the biodiversity of the area.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessmeiobenthosNematodaHarpacticoidahard-shelled Foraminiferaspecies compositionMarine Protected Area (MPA)Article7191017102610.1515/biolog-2016-01292-s2.0-84992612716Q2WOS:000387121600008Q3