The coastal upwelling region along the Peruvian and Chilean coast is the worldŽs largest high-production area among the eastern boundary current systems. One of the major aims of the PUCK-Cruise So-156 on board the R/V Sonne was to investigate the relationships between present day environmental conditions and the response of benthic organisms to the extension of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in specific areas along the Chilean coastline. This study is part of a multidisciplinary approach to detect relations between the upwelling intensity and the benthic communities (mega-, macro-, and meiofauna).For this purpose, three transects, perpendicular to the coast were sampled at different depths along a latitudinal gradient.