Genetic divergence and migration patterns of a galatheoid squat lobster highlight the need for deep-sea conservation.

Information on genetic divergence and migration patterns of vent- and seep-endemic macrobenthos can help delimit biogeographical provinces and provide scientific guidelines for deep-sea conservation under the growing threats of anthropogenic disturbances. Nevertheless, related studies are still scarce, impeding the informed conservation of these hotspots of deep-sea biodiversity. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted a population connectivity study on the galatheoid squat lobster Shinkaia crosnieri - a deep-sea foundation species widely distributed in vent and seep ecosystems in the Northwest Pacific. With the application of an interdisciplinary methodology involving population genomics and oceanographic approaches, we unveiled two semi-isolated lineages of S. crosnieri with limited and asymmetrical gene flow potentially shaped by the geographic settings, habitat types, and ocean currents - one comprising vent populations in the Okinawa Trough, with those inhabiting the southern trough area likely serving as the source; the other being the Jiaolong (JR) seep population in the South China Sea. The latter might have recently experienced a pronounced demographic contraction and exhibited genetic introgression from the Okinawa Trough lineage, potentially mediated by the intrusion of the North Pacific Intermediate Water. We then compared the biogeographic patterns between S. crosnieri and two other representative and co-occurring vent- and seep-endemic species using published data. Based on their biogeographical subdivisions and source-sink dynamics, we highlighted the southern Okinawa Trough vents and the JR seep warrant imperative conservation efforts to sustain the deep-sea biodiversity in the Northwest Pacific.

From commensalism to parasitism within a genus-level clade of barnacles.

Understanding how animals evolve to become parasites is key to unravelling how biodiversity is generated as a whole, as parasites could account for half of all species richness. Two significant impediments to this are that parasites fossilize poorly and that they retain few clear shared morphological features with non-parasitic relatives. Barnacles include some of the most astonishingly adapted parasites with the adult body reduced to just a network of tubes plus an external reproductive body, but how they originated from the sessile, filter-feeding form is still a mystery. Here, we present compelling molecular evidence that the exceedingly rare scale-worm parasite barnacle Rhizolepas is positioned within a clade comprising species currently assigned to Octolasmis, a genus exclusively commensal with at least six different phyla of animals. Our results imply that species in this genus-level clade represent an array of species at various transitional stages from free-living to parasitic in terms of plate reduction and host-parasite intimacy. Diverging only about 19.15 million years ago, the route to parasitism in Rhizolepas was associated with rapid modifications in anatomy, a pattern that was likely true for many other parasitic lineages.

Discovery and Genetic Characterization of a Vestimentiferan, Lamellibrachia satsuma, from the Submarine Volcano Omuro Dashi in the Izu-Ogasawara Arc.

Vestimentiferan tube worms (Annelida: Siboglinidae) were discovered in a hydrothermal field at a depth of 195 m in the crater of the submarine volcano Omuro Dashi in the Izu-Ogasawara Arc. Based on the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in individuals sampled in 2022, they were identified as Lamellibrachia satsuma Miura, Tsukahara & Hashimoto, 1997. STRUCTURE analysis and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) based on 14 microsatellite markers showed a large genetic deviation of the population of Omuro Dashi from those of Kagoshima Bay and the north Mariana Arc (the Nikko and Daikoku Seamounts), whereas the population of Omuro Dashi did not show significant genetic deviation from that of the Nikko Seamount based on the COI gene. All analyses showed that individuals of a methane seep area on the Kanasu-No-Se Bank, the Nankai Trough, which were collected only in 1994, were more closely related to those of Omuro Dashi than to those of other habitats. These results suggest that the ancestors of the Omuro Dashi and Nankai Trough populations originated from migrants from the north Mariana Arc and that there might be undiscovered source population(s) of L. satsuma around the Nankai Trough.

Hidden Historical Habitat-Linked Population Divergence and Contemporary Gene Flow of a Deep-Sea Patellogastropod Limpet.

Hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps in the deep ocean are rare oases fueled by chemosynthesis. Biological communities inhabiting these ecosystems are often distributed in widely separated habitats, raising intriguing questions on how these organisms achieve connectivity and whether habitat types facilitate intraspecific divergence. The deep-sea patellogastropod limpet Bathyacmaea nipponica that colonizes both vents and seeps across ∼2,400 km in the Northwest Pacific is a feasible model to answer these questions. We analyzed 123 individuals from four vents and three seeps using a comprehensive method incorporating population genomics and physical ocean modeling. Genome survey sequencing and genotyping-by-sequencing resulted in 9,838 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for population genomic analyses. Genetic divergence and demographic analyses revealed four habitat-linked (i.e., three seep and one vent) genetic groups, with the vent genetic group established via the opportunistic invasion of a few limpet larvae from a nearby seep genetic group. TreeMix analysis uncovered three historical seep-to-vent migration events. ADMIXTURE and divMigrate analyses elucidated weak contemporary gene flow from a seep genetic group to the vent genetic group. Physical ocean modeling underlined the potential roles of seafloor topography and ocean currents in shaping the genetic connectivity, contemporary migration, and local hybridization of these deep-sea limpets. Our study highlighted the power of integrating genomic and oceanographic approaches in deciphering the demography and diversification of deep-sea organisms. Given the increasing anthropogenic activities (e.g., mining and gas hydrate extraction) affecting the deep ocean, our results have implications for the conservation of deep-sea biodiversity and establishment of marine protected areas.

Multispecies Populations of Methanotrophic Methyloprofundus and Cultivation of a Likely Dominant Species from the Iheya North Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Field.

The Methyloprofundus clade is represented by uncultivated methanotrophic bacterial endosymbionts of deep-sea bathymodiolin mussels, but only a single free-living species has been cultivated to date. This study reveals the existence of free-living Methyloprofundus variants in the Iheya North deep-sea hydrothermal field in the mid-Okinawa Trough. A clade-targeted amplicon analysis of the particulate methane monooxygenase gene (pmoA) detected 647 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of the Methyloprofundus clade in microbial communities newly formed in in situ colonization systems. Such systems were deployed at colonies of bathymodiolin mussels and a galatheoid crab in diffuse-flow areas. These ASVs were classified into 161 species-like groups. The proportion of the species-like groups representing endosymbionts of mussels was unexpectedly low. A methanotrophic bacterium designated INp10, a likely dominant species in the Methyloprofundus population in this field, was enriched in a biofilm formed in a methane-fed cultivation system operated at 10°C. Genomic characterization with the gene transcription data set of INp10 from the biofilm suggested traits advantageous to niche competition in environments, such as mobility, chemotaxis, biofilm formation, offensive and defensive systems, and hypoxia tolerance. The notable metabolic traits that INp10 shares with some Methyloprofundus members are the use of lanthanide-dependent XoxF as the sole methanol dehydrogenase due to the absence of the canonical MxaFI, the glycolytic pathway using fructose-6-phosphate aldolase instead of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, and the potential to perform partial denitrification from nitrate under oxygen-limited conditions. These findings help us better understand the ecological strategies of this possibly widespread marine-specific methanotrophic clade. IMPORTANCE The Iheya North deep-sea hydrothermal field in the mid-Okinawa Trough is characterized by abundant methane derived from organic-rich sediments and diverse chemosynthetic animal species, including those harboring methanotrophic bacterial symbionts, such as bathymodiolin mussels Bathymodiolus japonicus and "Bathymodiolus" platifrons and a galatheoid crab, Shinkaia crosnieri. Symbiotic methanotrophs have attracted significant attention, and yet free-living methanotrophs in this environment have not been studied in detail. We focused on the free-living Methyloprofundus spp. that thrive in this hydrothermal field and identified an unexpectedly large number of species-like groups in this clade. Moreover, we enriched and characterized a methanotroph whose genome sequence indicated that it corresponds to a new species in the genus Methyloprofundus. This species might be a dominant member of the indigenous Methyloprofundus population. New information on free-living Methyloprofundus populations suggests that the hydrothermal field is a promising locale at which to investigate the adaptive capacity and associated genetic diversity of Methyloprofundus spp.

The First Bopyrid Isopod from Hydrothermal Vents: Pleurocryptella shinkai sp. nov. (Isopoda: Epicaridea) Parasitizing Shinkaia crosnieri (Decapoda: Anomura).

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are 'extreme' environments harboring diverse animal communities, powered by chemosynthesis. Though vent-endemic macrofauna have been a center of interest since their discovery in 1977, macroparasites have received little attention. Here, we report a bopyrid epicaridean isopod infesting the symbiotic munidopsid squat lobster Shinkaia crosnieri Baba and Williams, 1998 from three vent fields of Okinawa Trough, and describe it as Pleurocryptella shinkai sp. nov. Although morphologically close to the congeners Pleurocryptella formosa Bonnier, 1900, Pleurocryptella wolffi Bourdon, 1972, and Pleurocryptella altalis Williams, Boyko, and Marin, 2020, both females (via body proportion and characters of barbula, antennae, pleopods, and pleomeres) and males (via features of the head, pleomeres, and uropods) of the new species exhibit distinctive characters. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on the 18S rRNA gene (850 bp) was insufficiently resolved to clarify the relationship of different epicaridean lineages or the exact position of P. shinkai sp. nov., but it recovered P. shinkai sp. nov. in a distant position from the type genus of Pseudioninae, indicating non-monophyly of this subfamily. Crustaceans are successful in vents but this is only the second vent epicaridean reported, after Thermaloniscus cotylophorus Bourdon, 1983 from the East Pacific Rise described from a single cryptoniscus larva. As such, this is the first report of a vent bopyrid isopod and the first vent epicaridean with a known host. Some epicaridean lineages have adapted to tolerating the conditions of hydrothermal vents, and future research will likely uncover more epicarideans and other interesting parasites from these extreme habitats.

Distribution and Genetic Divergence of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Copepods (Dirivultidae: Siphonostomatoida: Copepoda) in the Northwestern Pacific.

Copepods in the family Dirivultidae are one of the most successful meiofauna in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields and are abundant near venting fluid. Although vents are spatially limited ocean habitats, they are distributed widely in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. However, knowledge of dirivultid biogeography and phylogeography remains limited, especially in the northwestern Pacific. Here, we obtained partial mitochondrial COI gene sequences of three dirivultids from the northwestern Pacific-Stygiopontius senokuchiae and an unidentified Chasmatopontius species from vent fields in the Izu-Bonin Arc and Stygiopontius senckenbergi associated with the squat lobster Shinkaia crosnieri in the Okinawa Trough-and analyzed them in comparison with existing data. The among-species sequence diversity exceeded 80 out of 560 bp (14% or 0.166 in Kimura 2-parameter distance), whereas the within-species diversity was less than 10 bp (2% or 0.018 in Kimura 2-parameter distance), with no genetic saturation. Each species formed a monophyletic clade and the genetic region targeted is deemed reliable for identifying species and populations for these copepods. Among the three genera targeted, only Chasmatopontius formed a monophyletic cluster, while Aphotopontius and Stygiopontius did not. Species delimitation analyses suggested the existence of cryptic species in Chasmatopontius. Subdivision among local populations was observed in Aphotopontius, but not in Stygiopontius in the same distribution, implying potential differences in dispersal ability among different genera of dirivultids. Further sampling is required, to fill the spatial gaps to elucidate the biogeography and evolution of dirivultids in the global deep ocean.

Gut Microbial Divergence between Two Populations of the Hadal Amphipod Hirondellea gigas.

Hadal environments sustain diverse microorganisms. A few studies have investigated hadal microbial communities consisting of free-living or particle-associated bacteria and archaea. However, animal-associated microbial communities in hadal environments remain largely unexplored, and comparative analyses of animal gut microbiota between two isolated hadal environments have never been done so far. In the present study, 228 Gb of gut metagenomes of the giant amphipod Hirondellea gigas from two hadal trenches, the Mariana Trench and Japan Trench, were sequenced and analyzed. Taxonomic analysis identified 49 microbial genera commonly shared by the gut microbiota of the two H. gigas populations. However, the results of statistical analysis, in congruency with the alpha and beta diversity analyses, revealed significant differences in gut microbial composition across the two trenches. Abundance variation of Psychromonas, Propionibacterium, and Pseudoalteromonas species was observed. Microbial cooccurrence was demonstrated for microbes that were overrepresented in the Mariana trench. Comparison of functional potential showed that the percentage of carbohydrate metabolic genes among the total microbial genes was significantly higher in the guts of H. gigas specimens from the Mariana Trench. Integrating carbon input information and geological characters of the two hadal trenches, we propose that the differences in the community structure might be due to several selective factors, such as environmental variations and microbial interactions.IMPORTANCE The taxonomic composition and functional potential of animal gut microbiota in deep-sea environments remain largely unknown. Here, by performing comparative metagenomics, we suggest that the gut microbial compositions of two Hirondellea gigas populations from the Mariana Trench and the Japan Trench have undergone significant divergence. Through analyses of functional potentials and microbe-microbe correlations, our findings shed light on the contributions of animal gut microbiota to host adaptation to hadal environments.

Complex factors shape phenotypic variation in deep-sea limpets.

Pectinodontid limpets are important members of deep-sea hot vents and cold seeps as can be seen by their conspicuous presence in both extant and extinct systems. They have traditionally been classified into different genera and species based on shell and radula characteristics; the reliability of these characters has been questioned but not tested thoroughly. Here, for the first time in taxa endemic to deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems, we combine substrate translocation with molecular data to assess the plasticity and variability of key phenotypic characters. Molecular data revealed that several 'species' of extant vent/seep pectinodontids actually represent intergrading morphotypes of a single, highly plastic, evolutionary lineage, with each morphological trait being possibly influenced differently by environmental and genetic factors. Our results challenge previous interpretations of paleoecology at fossil chemosynthetic ecosystems and highlight the importance of modern analogues in understanding fossil systems.

Ocean circulation contributes to genetic connectivity of limpet populations at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in a back-arc basin.

For endemic benthos inhabiting hydrothermal vent fields, larval recruitment is critical for population maintenance and colonization via migration among separated sites. The vent-endemic limpet, Lepetodrilus nux, is abundant at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Okinawa Trough, a back-arc basin in the northwestern Pacific; nonetheless, it is endangered due to deep-sea mining. This species is associated with many other vent species and is an important successor in these vent ecosystems. However, limpet genetic diversity and connectivity among local populations have not yet been examined. We conducted a population genetics study of L. nux at five hydrothermal vent fields (maximum geographic distance, ~545 km; depths ~700 m to ~1650 m) using 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci previously developed. Genetic diversity has been maintained among these populations. Meanwhile, fine population genetic structure was detected between distant populations, even within this back-arc basin, reflecting geographic distances between vent fields. There was a significant, positive correlation between genetic differentiation and geographic distance, but no correlation with depth. Contrary to dispersal patterns predicted by an ocean circulation model, genetic migration is not necessarily unidirectional, based on relative migration rates. While ocean circulation contributes to dispersal of L. nux among vent fields in the Okinawa Trough, genetic connectivity may be maintained by complex, bidirectional dispersal processes over multiple generations.

A new provannid snail (Gastropoda, Abyssochrysoidea) discovered from Northwest Eifuku Volcano, Mariana Arc.

Gastropods in the family Provannidae are characteristic members of deep-sea chemosynthesis-based communities. Recently, surveys of hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps in the western Pacific have revealed a high diversity of provannids, with new discoveries continuing to be made. Here, we report and describe a further new species, Provannaexquisita sp. nov., discovered from the Northwest Eifuku volcano on the Mariana Arc. This new species is distinguished from all other described Provanna species by its exaggerated sculpture characterised by two to three sharply raised, flange-like keels on the teleoconch whorls. The status of P.exquisita sp. nov. is also supported by a molecular phylogeny reconstruction using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, which suggested that it is most closely related to a clade of three species described from Okinawa Trough vents including P.clathrata, P.subglabra, and P.fenestrata. Despite being one of the better-explored regions of the world in terms of hydrothermal vent biodiversity, new discoveries like P.exquisita sp. nov. continue to remind us that we are nowhere near fully documenting the species diversity in these unique ecosystems-despite the species being threatened from imminent anthropogenic impacts such as deep-sea mining.

Unusual bromine enrichment in the gastric mill and setae of the hadal amphipod Hirondellea gigas.

The hadal amphipod Hirondellea gigas is an emblematic animal of the Pacific trenches, and has a number of special adaptations to thrive in this 'extreme' environment, which includes the deepest part of the Earth's ocean. One such adaptation that has been suggested is the presence of an 'aluminum gel shield' on the surface of its body in order to prevent the dissolution of calcitic exoskeleton below the carbonate compensation depth. However, this has not been investigated under experimental conditions that sufficiently prevent aluminum artefacts, and the possibility of other elements with similar characteristic X-ray energy as aluminum (such as bromine) has not been considered. Here, we show with new electron microscopy data gathered under optimized conditions to minimize aluminum artefacts that H. gigas actually does not have an aluminum shield-instead many parts of its body are enriched in bromine, particularly gastric ossicles and setae. Results from elemental analyses pointed to the use of calcite partially substituted with magnesium by H. gigas in its exoskeleton, in order to suppress dissolution. Our results exemplify the necessity of careful sample preparation and analysis of the signals in energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis, and the importance of analyses at different electron energies.

Species assemblage networks identify regional connectivity pathways among hydrothermal vents in the Northwest Pacific.

The distribution of species among spatially isolated habitat patches supports regional biodiversity and stability, so understanding the underlying processes and structure is a key target of conservation. Although multivariate statistics can infer the connectivity processes driving species distribution, such as dispersal and habitat suitability, they rarely explore the structure. Methods from graph theory, applied to distribution data, give insights into both connectivity pathways and processes by intuitively formatting the data as a network of habitat patches. We apply these methods to empirical data from the hydrothermal vent habitats of the Northwest Pacific. Hydrothermal vents are "oases" of biological productivity and endemicity on the seafloor that are imminently threatened by anthropogenic disturbances with unknown consequences to biodiversity. Here, we describe the structure of species assemblage networks at hydrothermal vents, how local and regional parameters affect their structure, and the implications for conservation. Two complementary networks were formed from an extensive species assemblage dataset: a similarity network of vent site nodes linked by weighted edges based on their pairwise assemblage similarity and a bipartite network of species nodes linked to vent site nodes at which they are present. Using these networks, we assessed the role of individual vent sites in maintaining network connectivity and identified biogeographic sub-regions. The three sub-regions and two outlying sites are separated by their spatial arrangement and local environmental filters. Both networks detected vent sites that play a disproportionately important role in regional pathways, while the bipartite network also identified key vent sites maintaining the distinct species assemblages of their sub-regions. These regional connectivity pathways provide insights into historical colonization routes, while sub-regional connectivity pathways are of value when selecting sites for conservation and/or estimating the multivent impacts from proposed deep-sea mining.

Worm on worm: Two rare genera of Calamyzinae (Annelida, Chrysopetalidae), with a description of new species.

Marine annelids in the subfamily Calamyzinae (family Chrysopetalidae) are either symbiotic or free-living forms that have been mainly reported from deep-sea chemosynthetic environments. Symbiotic calamyzines predominantly live in the mantle cavity of bivalves distributing at hydrothermal vents or methane seeps except for two species inhabiting the epidermis of polychaetes and octopuses. In this study, we describe a new species, Calamyzas crambon sp. nov., from Japan and report a new record of Nautiliniella calyptogenicola from the Mariana Trench. We also provide the phylogenetic position of the two species within Chrysopetalidae based on four gene markers (COI, 16S, 18S, and H3).

A new species of Princaxelia from Shinkai Seep Field, Mariana Trench (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Pardaliscidae).

A new pardaliscid amphipod, Princaxelia marianaensis sp. nov., is described from a single female captured at the Shinkai Seep Field, Mariana Trench, from a depth of 5,689-5,683 m. A key to species of Princaxelia is provided. This is the first species of Princaxelia to be described from the Mariana Trench, and the second report of this genus from this region.

The Scaly-foot Snail genome and implications for the origins of biomineralised armour.

The Scaly-foot Snail, Chrysomallon squamiferum, presents a combination of biomineralised features, reminiscent of enigmatic early fossil taxa with complex shells and sclerites such as sachtids, but in a recently-diverged living species which even has iron-infused hard parts. Thus the Scaly-foot Snail is an ideal model to study the genomic mechanisms underlying the evolutionary diversification of biomineralised armour. Here, we present a high-quality whole-genome assembly and tissue-specific transcriptomic data, and show that scale and shell formation in the Scaly-foot Snail employ independent subsets of 25 highly-expressed transcription factors. Comparisons with other lophotrochozoan genomes imply that this biomineralisation toolkit is ancient, though expression patterns differ across major lineages. We suggest that the ability of lophotrochozoan lineages to generate a wide range of hard parts, exemplified by the remarkable morphological disparity in Mollusca, draws on a capacity for dynamic modification of the expression and positioning of toolkit elements across the genome.

Four new deep-sea provannid snails (Gastropoda: Abyssochrysoidea) discovered from hydrocarbon seep and hydrothermal vents in Japan.

Recently, the species richness of provannid gastropods inhabiting chemosynthetic ecosystems in the northwestern Pacific has been reassessed, revealing a much higher diversity than previously realized. Here, we describe four further new species, two in the genus Desbruyeresia and two in the genus Provanna. Their generic placement was confirmed by both shell and radula morphology, as well as phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Desbruyeresia armata n. sp. from vent fields in the Izu-Ogasawara Arc is characterized by a stout shell with numerous tubercles or short spines and marginal teeth coarsely serrated into only four denticles. Desbruyeresia costata n. sp. from Okinawa Trough vents is distinguished from other congeners by an elongate shell with strong axial ribs and obsolete spiral ribs. These represent the first Desbruyeresia species from Japanese waters. Provanna fenestrata n. sp. discovered from two vent fields in the Okinawa Trough is instantly recognizable from its uniquely regular rectangular lattice sculpture; Provanna stephanos n. sp. is a surprising new discovery from the supposedly well-explored 'Off Hatsushima' hydrocarbon seep site in Sagami Bay, and is highly distinctive with two characteristic rows of strongly spinous spiral ribs. The discovery of these new species in relatively well-explored chemosynthetic ecosystems in Japan indicates that the biodiversity of such systems remains poorly documented.

Using Soundscapes to Assess Deep-Sea Benthic Ecosystems.

Targets of deep-sea mining commonly coincide with biodiversity hotspots, such as hydrothermal vents. The resilience of these ecosystems relies on larval dispersal, which may be directed by habitat-specific soundscapes. We urge for a global effort to implement soundscape as a conservation tool to assess anthropogenic disruption to deep-sea benthic ecosystems.

Two new species of the crangonid genus Metacrangon Zarenkov, 1965 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from the Okinawa Trough, Japan.

Two new species of the crangonid shrimp genus Metacrangon Zarenkov, 1965, are described and illustrated on the basis of materials collected from the Okinawa Trough, Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan, during diving operations of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs): M. ryukyu n. sp. from off Iheya Island, at depth of 986 m; and Metacrangon kaiko n. sp. from NE of Yonaguni Island, at depth of 2205 m. The two new species resemble members of the M. munita (Dana, 1852) species group, but are both characteristic in having setose dactyli on pereopods 4 and 5. Some minor differences in morphology and genetic analysis using partial sequences of the barcoding mitochondrial COI gene support the recognition of the two new species. Holotypes of the two new species were collected from hydrothermally influenced areas, representing a previously unknown habitat for species of Metacrangon.

A new method for acquiring images of meiobenthic images using the FlowCAM.

The purpose of this study was to develop a new method for investigating sediment-inhabiting meiobenthos using the Flow Cytometer And Microscope (FlowCAM). Meiobenthos are widely recognized as a useful indicator for assessing the effects of anthropogenic and natural disturbances in both shallow and deep ocean ecosystems. These small benthic invertebrates are traditionally investigated by individually counting and identifying specimens under a microscope, which is labor intensive and time consuming. However, FlowCAM, which was originally developed to semiautomatically analyze microplankton, has the potential to resolve these challenges. Meiobenthic specimens were extracted from sediment using the centrifugal separation method and were then pipetted into the FlowCAM system and imaged. The images were then used to classify and count the specimens at high taxonomic levels to verify the effectiveness of this method compared with traditional methods. We found that FlowCAM system: •Enabled sufficient meiobenthic images to be obtained to allow the identification and classification of specimens at high taxonomic levels.•Obtained comparable numbers of individuals to traditional methods.•Has the potential to rapidly process large the volumes of meiobenthos samples that are required when monitoring seasonal and spatial variation in ocean ecosystems and conducting long-term environmental impact assessments.