Deep-sea meiofaunal communities vary at a range of spatial scales. However, identifying which scale(s) account for most of the variability in deep-sea communities remains difficult, as few studies have been designed in such a way as to allow meaningful comparisons across more than two spatial scales. Moreover, deep-sea studies have largely focused on particular (macro) habitats in isolation, with few studies considering multiple habitats simultaneously in a comparable manner. In the present study, meiofaunal and nematode community attributes (abundance, diversity, community structure and trophic structure) were investigated at different spatial scales (sediment depth (em), habitat (slope, canyon, seamount, and seep: 1-- 100 km), and region (100-10000 km)) in two regions on the continental slope of New Zealand (Hikurangi Margin and Bay of Plenty), while accounting for the effects of water depth (700, 1000, 1200 and 1500 m). Nematode species new to science encountered during sampling on .....

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