LAUSR

Abstract The meiofauna was studied at 7 stations in the eastern part of the Kara Sea shelf and at the southern edge of the Voronin Trough. The total meiofaunal abundance was 682 ± 403 ind./10 cm2 and 10 major meiofaunal taxa were recorded for the eastern part of the Kara Sea. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated the depth, type of sediments and C org content in the sediment as the main factors affecting the community structure. High taxonomic similarity was recorded for the meiobenthos of the eastern and central parts and the Yenisei River estuary. The meiobenthos abundance was significantly lower in the eastern part of the Kara Sea than in the central part and the Yenisei River estuary. The abundance and diversity of the meiobenthos are affected by the hydrodynamics, grain size, and organic matter content.