Ultrasonic treatment of sediment samples for more efficient sorting of meiofauna1

Abstract
The ultrasonic treatment of mei‐ofaunal samples breaks up sediment aggregations, permitting more efficient washing of the samples and reducing sorting time. Such treatment also allows recovery of specimens associated with fecal pellets and mud balls, and it cleans Foraminifera, improving their staining properties. Damage to agglutinating Foraminifera and certain other taxa limits the utility of the technique.