Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature

Alejandro Martínez; Stefano Bonaglia; Maikon Di Domenico; Gustavo Fonseca; Jeroen Ingels; Katharina M. Jörger; Christopher Laumer; Francesca Leasi; Daniela Zeppilli; Elisa Baldrighi; Holly Bik; Diego Cepeda; Marco Curini-Galletti; Asher D. Cutter; Giovanni dos Santos; Simone Fattorini; Dagmar Frisch; Sabine Gollner; Ulf Jondelius; Alexandra Kerbl; Kevin M. Kocot; Nabil Majdi; Stefano Mammola; José M. Martín-Durán; Andre Menegotto; Paul A. Montagna; Francisco J. A. Nascimento; Nicolas Puillandre; Anne Rognant; Nuria Sánchez; Isaac R. Santos; Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa; Michaela Schratzberger; Federica Semprucci; Mauricio Shimabukuro; Paul J. Sommerfield; Torsten H. Struck; Martin V. Sørensen; Andreas Wallberg; Katrine Worsaae; Hiroshi Yamasaki; Diego Fontaneto

doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1

Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature

Alejandro Martínez^*, Stefano Bonaglia, Maikon Di Domenico, Gustavo Fonseca, Jeroen Ingels, Katharina M. Jörger, Christopher Laumer, Francesca Leasi, Daniela Zeppilli, Elisa Baldrighi, Holly Bik, Diego Cepeda, Marco Curini-Galletti, Asher D. Cutter, Giovanni dos Santos, Simone Fattorini, Dagmar Frisch, Sabine Gollner, Ulf Jondelius, Alexandra KerblKevin M. Kocot, Nabil Majdi, Stefano Mammola, José M. Martín-Durán, Andre Menegotto, Paul A. Montagna, Francisco J. A. Nascimento, Nicolas Puillandre, Anne Rognant, Nuria Sánchez, Isaac R. Santos, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Michaela Schratzberger, Federica Semprucci, Mauricio Shimabukuro, Paul J. Sommerfield, Torsten H. Struck, Martin V. Sørensen, Andreas Wallberg, Katrine Worsaae, Hiroshi Yamasaki, Diego Fontaneto

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Kommentar/debat › Forskning › peer review

5 Citationer (Scopus)

13 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper identifies the top-50 priority questions for meiofaunal research, highlighting their critical roles in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. It calls for a balanced research agenda, international cooperation, and advances in technology to overcome current challenges and unlock meiofauna’s full potential.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	449
Tidsskrift	Communications Biology
Vol/bind	8
Antal sider	17
ISSN	2399-3642
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1
Status	Udgivet - 2025

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10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1Licens: CC BY-NC-ND

FulltextForlagets udgivne version, 3,7 MBLicens: CC BY-NC-ND

Citationsformater

Martínez, A., Bonaglia, S., Di Domenico, M., Fonseca, G., Ingels, J., Jörger, K. M., Laumer, C., Leasi, F., Zeppilli, D., Baldrighi, E., Bik, H., Cepeda, D., Curini-Galletti, M., Cutter, A. D., dos Santos, G., Fattorini, S., Frisch, D., Gollner, S., Jondelius, U., ... Fontaneto, D. (2025). Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature. Communications Biology , 8, Artikel 449. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1

Martínez, A, Bonaglia, S, Di Domenico, M, Fonseca, G, Ingels, J, Jörger, KM, Laumer, C, Leasi, F, Zeppilli, D, Baldrighi, E, Bik, H, Cepeda, D, Curini-Galletti, M, Cutter, AD, dos Santos, G, Fattorini, S, Frisch, D, Gollner, S, Jondelius, U, Kerbl, A, Kocot, KM, Majdi, N, Mammola, S, Martín-Durán, JM, Menegotto, A, Montagna, PA, Nascimento, FJA, Puillandre, N, Rognant, A, Sánchez, N, Santos, IR, Schmidt-Rhaesa, A, Schratzberger, M, Semprucci, F, Shimabukuro, M, Sommerfield, PJ, Struck, TH, Sørensen, MV, Wallberg, A, Worsaae, K, Yamasaki, H & Fontaneto, D 2025, 'Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature', Communications Biology , bind 8, 449. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1

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title = "Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature",

abstract = "This paper identifies the top-50 priority questionsfor meiofaunal research, highlighting their criticalroles in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. Itcalls for a balanced research agenda, internationalcooperation, and advances in technology toovercome current challenges and unlockmeiofauna{\textquoteright}s full potential.",

keywords = "Distribution patterns, Nerillidae annelida, C. elegans, Body-size, Marine, Diversity, Nematodes, Evolution, Biodiversity, Bioturbation",

author = "Alejandro Mart{\'i}nez and Stefano Bonaglia and {Di Domenico}, Maikon and Gustavo Fonseca and Jeroen Ingels and J{\"o}rger, {Katharina M.} and Christopher Laumer and Francesca Leasi and Daniela Zeppilli and Elisa Baldrighi and Holly Bik and Diego Cepeda and Marco Curini-Galletti and Cutter, {Asher D.} and {dos Santos}, Giovanni and Simone Fattorini and Dagmar Frisch and Sabine Gollner and Ulf Jondelius and Alexandra Kerbl and Kocot, {Kevin M.} and Nabil Majdi and Stefano Mammola and Mart{\'i}n-Dur{\'a}n, {Jos{\'e} M.} and Andre Menegotto and Montagna, {Paul A.} and Nascimento, {Francisco J. A.} and Nicolas Puillandre and Anne Rognant and Nuria S{\'a}nchez and Santos, {Isaac R.} and Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa and Michaela Schratzberger and Federica Semprucci and Mauricio Shimabukuro and Sommerfield, {Paul J.} and Struck, {Torsten H.} and S{\o}rensen, {Martin V.} and Andreas Wallberg and Katrine Worsaae and Hiroshi Yamasaki and Diego Fontaneto",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1",

language = "English",

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journal = "Communications Biology ",

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T1 - Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature

AU - Martínez, Alejandro

AU - Bonaglia, Stefano

AU - Di Domenico, Maikon

AU - Fonseca, Gustavo

AU - Ingels, Jeroen

AU - Jörger, Katharina M.

AU - Laumer, Christopher

AU - Leasi, Francesca

AU - Zeppilli, Daniela

AU - Baldrighi, Elisa

AU - Bik, Holly

AU - Cepeda, Diego

AU - Curini-Galletti, Marco

AU - Cutter, Asher D.

AU - dos Santos, Giovanni

AU - Fattorini, Simone

AU - Frisch, Dagmar

AU - Gollner, Sabine

AU - Jondelius, Ulf

AU - Kerbl, Alexandra

AU - Kocot, Kevin M.

AU - Majdi, Nabil

AU - Mammola, Stefano

AU - Martín-Durán, José M.

AU - Menegotto, Andre

AU - Montagna, Paul A.

AU - Nascimento, Francisco J. A.

AU - Puillandre, Nicolas

AU - Rognant, Anne

AU - Sánchez, Nuria

AU - Santos, Isaac R.

AU - Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas

AU - Schratzberger, Michaela

AU - Semprucci, Federica

AU - Shimabukuro, Mauricio

AU - Sommerfield, Paul J.

AU - Struck, Torsten H.

AU - Sørensen, Martin V.

AU - Wallberg, Andreas

AU - Worsaae, Katrine

AU - Yamasaki, Hiroshi

AU - Fontaneto, Diego

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - This paper identifies the top-50 priority questionsfor meiofaunal research, highlighting their criticalroles in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. Itcalls for a balanced research agenda, internationalcooperation, and advances in technology toovercome current challenges and unlockmeiofauna’s full potential.

AB - This paper identifies the top-50 priority questionsfor meiofaunal research, highlighting their criticalroles in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. Itcalls for a balanced research agenda, internationalcooperation, and advances in technology toovercome current challenges and unlockmeiofauna’s full potential.

KW - Distribution patterns

KW - Nerillidae annelida

KW - C. elegans

KW - Body-size

KW - Marine

KW - Diversity

KW - Nematodes

KW - Evolution

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Bioturbation

U2 - 10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1

DO - 10.1038/s42003-025-07888-1

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 40097602

SN - 2399-3642

VL - 8

JO - Communications Biology

JF - Communications Biology

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ER -