About IAM

Meiobenthology is the study of small, mostly microscopic, animals that live on the bottom in aquatic habitats such as beaches, mud flats, and the deep sea. The majority of recognized phyla have meiofaunal representatives.

The International Association of Meiobenthologists (IAM) publishes a bi-yearly newsletter, Psammonalia, and sponsors a triennial International Conference. Psammonalia is published in January and June.

Featured Organism: A ????????

Dr. Janet Gwyther, Deaken University, found the following mysterious beastie in the sands from the land Down Under. Preliminary identifications suggest the creature is some kind of flagellated euglenoid. It was collected from the shallow intertidal zone of a sheltered marine embayment called Swan Bay, which is separated by a sand spit from the western edge of Port Phillip Bay (at the northern end of which lies Melbourne). The sediment was fine sand, and there are plenty of sea-grass and algal vegetated patches within the shallow bay. The region is a favoured feeding area for black swans, and part of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park. If anyone has a more precise identification please contact Dr. Gwyther.