Preface -- Chapter 1: Evolution of Bilateria from a Meiofauna Perspective - Miniaturization in the Focus -- Chapter 2: Meiofauna Shaping Biogeochemical Processes -- Chapter 3: Meiofauna and Biofilms - the Slimy Universe -- Chapter 4: Meiofauna Meets Microbes: Chemosynthetic Symbioses -- Chapter 5: Marine Meiofauna Diversity and Biogeography - Paradigms and challenges -- Chapter 6: Freshwater Meiofauna - a Biota with Different Rules? -- Chapter 7: Hidden Players - Meiofauna Mediates Ecosystem Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbances in the Ocean -- Chapter 8: Deep-Sea Meiofauna - a World of its Own or Deeply Connected? -- Chapter 9: Polar Meiofauna - Antipoles or Parallels? -- Chapter 10: Cave Meiofauna - Models for Ecology and Evolution -- Chapter 11: Meiofauna - Adapted to Life at the Limits -- Concluding Remarks -- Index.

Since research on meiobenthos was last compiled in a textbook (2008/2009), the number of theoretical and applied studies has been growing rapidly. Supported by new methods and digital evaluation, meiobenthology has developed into a wide field, with more and more researchers studying cross-disciplinary aspects. New perspectives were summarized in a booklet (2019) to draw attention to promising research directions. The present book, written by leading experts, is a compilation of new thinking, data, methods and approaches in many relevant fields of recent meiobenthos research. The topics addressed range from bacteria and biofilms to globally changing processes, from polar regions to the deep-sea and from freshwater ecosystems to the ocean. So, this book is not simply another meiobenthos textbook - it is an attempt to identify new horizons in meiobenthos research, driven by the vision of advancing knowledge and understanding of benthic ecosystems.