Nematoda diversity and functional feeding groups on the Northeast Greenland (NEG) shelf during POLARSTERN cruise PS109

Between September and October 2017, MUC cores were deployed at various locations across the Northeast Greenland (NEG) shelf with R/V Polarstern during PS109. Samples for meiofauna were collected with a cut-off 10 ml syringe (area 1.89 m²) that was inserted to 5 cm depth sediment depth in the MUC core, and subsequently sliced in 5 horizons of 1 cm. Afterwards, meiofauna were extracted from the samples by triple density centrifugation with the colloidal silica polymer LUDOX TM 40 (Heip et al., 1985) and rinsed with freshwater on stacked 1 mm and 32 µm mesh sieves. The fraction retained on the 32 µm mesh sieve was preserved in 4 % Li2CO3-buffered formalin and stained with Rose Bengal. Nematodes of each sample were handpicked with a fine needle, transferred to glycerine (De Grisse I, II and III) (Seinhorst, 1959) , mounted on glass slides, identified to genus level and allocated to functional feeding groups based on Wieser, 1953 (as selective deposit feeders - 1A, non-selective deposit feeders - 1B, epistratum feeders - 2A and predators/scavengers - 2B).