Quantitative Methods in the Study of Interstitial Fauna

Most work on interstitial microfauna has been done in the intertidal zone. More quantitative information on the subtidal is necessary. Some methods are proposed for sampling the undisturbed sea bottom by either ships or diving. For separation of the vagile interstitial fauna, especially ciliates and flagellates from the sediment, a sample method using seawater-ice is described. The animals are forced out of the sediment due to the high salinity of the melted seawater and the subsequent streaming action.