Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 26 No. 9 (2025)

Monsoonal effects on meiofaunal assemblages in Pulau Tuba Mangroves, Langkawi, Malaysia

ROHAYU RAMLI (Marine Research Station (MARES), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perlis Branch. Arau Campus, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia)
NUR FARAH DALILA ZULKIFLI (Marine Research Station (MARES), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perlis Branch. Arau Campus, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia)
ASMIDA ISMAIL (Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA. 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia)
FAEZAH PARDI (Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Teknologi MARA. 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
21 Oct 2025

Abstract

Abstract. Ramli R, Zulkifli NFD, Ismail A, Pardi F. 2025. Monsoonal effects on meiofaunal assemblages in Pulau Tuba Mangroves, Langkawi, Malaysia. Biodiversitas 26: 4694-4705. Mangrove ecosystems are dynamic coastal habitats that support diverse and functionally important benthic communities, including meiofauna. This study investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of meiofaunal assemblages in the mangrove sediments of Pulau Tuba, Langkawi, Malaysia, in relation to monsoonal-driven environmental changes. Sediment and porewater samples were collected from four stations (MG1-MG4) in June 2023 and November 2023 to represent the Southwest Monsoon and Northeast Monsoon, respectively. Meiofauna were collected and classified to major taxa, while various environmental parameters were quantified, including salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, organic matter content, sediment grain size, and composition. A total of nine meiofaunal groups were recorded, namely Sarcomastigophora, Copepoda, Rotifera, Oligochaeta, Halacaroidea, Polychaeta, Ostracoda, Kinorhyncha, with Nematoda dominated (>90%) in both seasons. Meiofaunal density was significantly higher during the Southwest Monsoon (Paired t-test, p<0.05). Diversity indices showed low species diversity, with dominance by a few groups. Multivariate analyses revealed that seasonal variation had a greater influence on community structure than spatial differences. Principal Component Analysis and Distance-based redundancy analysis identified salinity, temperature, organic matter, and dissolved oxygen as the key environmental drivers structuring meiofaunal communities. These findings add to the limited body of research on Malaysian and tropical mangrove meiofauna and provide observational evidence that may inform conservation planning, sustainable management, and policy discussions aligned with SDGs 14 and 15.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

biodiv

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology

Description

The Biodiversitas Journal was first published in 2000 by the Department of Biology, FMNS, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia, then in 2006 it was co-published by the Society for Indonesian Biodiversity and that department; since 2017 it was also hosted by Smujo. From 2003-2012 it was ...