Meiobenthos, especially from sulphidic habitats (thiobiotic meiofauna)
Ecology and ecophysiology of thiobiotic meiofauna
Hydrothermal Vents
Animal-Bacteria Symbioses in meiofauna
Aberrant cell inclusions in thiobios (nematodes): reactions to sulfide exposure?

1. MEIOBENTHOS, ESPECIALLY FROM SULPHIDIC HABITATS (THIOBIOTIC MEIOFAUNA)

2. ECOLOGY AND ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF THIOBIOTIC MEIOFAUNA

The existence of meiobenthic communities regularly exposed to hypoxic or even anoxic-sulphidic or methanic conditions is known for almost 40 years. Despite the knowledge of this "thiobiotic" benthos , informations on the biology, ecology and physiology are still scarce. The research interest focusses on analyses of the field distribution and population dynamics of thiobiotic animals and concomitant abiotic factors such as sulphide and oxygen concentration.

Present research programme (supported by DFG, the German Research Council):
The chemosynthetic, methane-based ecosystem in a freshwater lake of Movile Cave (Romania) where the meiofauna is dominated by specialized species of nematodes and ciliates.

3. HYDROTHERMAL VENTS

• Research on animal-bacteria-symbioses as structural adaptations to the chemosynthetic environment of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and seeps (electron microscopy)
• Population development as a reaction to fluctuations in the vent/seep efflux (size-frequency analyses, shell growth)

4. ANIMAL-BACTERIA SYMBIOSES IN MEIOFAUNA

• Structural research on gutless oligochaetes (Olavius, Inanidrilus)

5. ABERRANT CELL INCLUSIONS IN THIOBIOS (NEMATODES): REACTIONS TO SULFIDE EXPOSURE?