Perspectives in Meiobenthology: Reviews, Reflections and Conclusions
暫譯: 微小底棲生物學的視角：評論、反思與結論

雖然微小動物（meiofauna）在數量上豐富、多樣性高且生態上重要，但相關的科學媒體對其報導卻相對較少。如何克服這種忽視？本論文強調了有前景的微小動物研究領域，這些領域選自基礎科學和應用科學，以及可能增強微小底棲生物學（meiobenthology）潛力的新方法。最近的微小動物研究，通常得到快速發展的基因方法的支持，突顯了微小底棲生物學的相關性和潛力，揭示了生態系統的特徵和壓力，尤其是在極端棲息地中。在更傳統的領域，如分類學和系統發生學方面，微小底棲生物研究的進展定義了更深層次的科學理解。

After his student years, Olav Giere investigated on sampling campaigns and student excursions the ecology of microscopic organisms living in the sediments of North Sea shores. Early on he studied in fieldwork and experiments the impact of disastrous oil spills on marine fauna. Interested in the multiple interactions of function and form of sediment fauna, he then focussed on the ecology and adaptations of animals living in low-oxygen/high-sulphide conditions. In many cases, meiofauna is adapted to these conditions occurring in shallow sites, at the deep-sea floor, and in subterranean waters. This lead Giere to research and teaching stays in different countries, but also to several deep-sea and cave expeditions. On Bermuda he discovered exotic gutless meiobenthic worms living in an obligate symbiosis with 'sulphur bacteria'. These studies sparked new, far-reaching research fields on novel symbiotic pathways under unusual ecological conditions. Based on his comprehensive textbook Meiobenthology (2^nd revised edition in 2009) - the science of microscopic, ubiquitous animals - the author now presents a summary and appraisal of the recent situation in this often neglected research field and works out recommendations for its scientifically successful future.

在學生時期之後，Olav Giere 研究了北海海岸沉積物中微生物的生態，進行了取樣活動和學生考察。他早期在實地工作和實驗中研究了災難性石油洩漏對海洋動物的影響。對沉積物動物的功能與形態之間的多重互動感興趣，他隨後專注於生活在低氧/高硫條件下的動物的生態和適應性。在許多情況下，中型動物（meiofauna）適應了這些在淺水區、深海底部和地下水中出現的條件。這使得 Giere 在不同國家進行研究和教學，也參加了幾次深海和洞穴探險。在百慕達，他發現了與「硫細菌」形成必需共生關係的異國無腸中型底棲蠕蟲。這些研究引發了在不尋常生態條件下新型共生途徑的廣泛研究領域。基於他全面的教科書《Meiobenthology》（2009年第二版修訂版）——微小、無處不在的動物科學——作者現在對這一常被忽視的研究領域的近期情況進行了總結和評估，並提出了對其科學成功未來的建議。