The sediment samples were collected by SCUBA divers from shallow subtidal areas in coral reefs at Mu Ko Samet, Rayong Province, the Eastern Gulf of Thailand and Mu Ko Angthong, Surat Thani Province, in the Western Gulf of Thailand.
Meiocores were randomly inserted into the sediment down to a depth of 10 cm. Sediment samples were preserved in 10% buffered formalin.
In the laboratory, meiofauna samples were stained with Rose Bengal and sieved through 63 μm mesh net.
The meiofauna were sorted, identified and counted at a higher taxon level using a stereoscopic microscope.
All meiofauna data were converted to densities (number of individuals/10 cm2). One-way ANOVA were performed to test the difference of meiofaunal density among the study sites.