Editing Meiobenthos (section)

===Sampling methodologies===
Sampling the meiobenthos is dependent upon the environment and whether quantitative or qualitative samples are required. In the sedimentary environment, the methodology used also depends on the [[Geomorphology|physical morphology]] of the sediment. For qualititative sampling within the littoral zone, for both coarse and fine sediment, a bucket and spade will work. In the sub-littoral and deep water, some form of [[Grab (tool)|grab]] (like the [[Van Veen grab sampler]]) is required, although a fine mesh (about 0.25&nbsp;mm or less) would work also.

For the quantitative sampling of sedimentary environments at all depths, a wide variety of samplers have been devised. The simplest is a plastic syringe with the end cut off to form a piston corer which can be deployed in the littoral zone, or in the sub-littoral using [[Scuba set|SCUBA]] gear. Generally the deeper the water, the more complicated the sampling process becomes. For sampling the meiofauna on hard substrates or phytal or epizootic environments, the only practical methodology is to cut or scrape off a known area of the substrate and place it in a plastic bag.