Importance of benthic productivity in controlling the flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen through the sediment-water interface in a hypertrophic marine ecosystem

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The rate of bacterial nitrate reduction measured directly in sediments from a hypertrophic marine ecosystem (6.0 ± 1.5 mmol m-2 d-1) was similar to the value calculated from a whole pond nutrient budget (7.7 ± 0.3 mmol m-2 d-1) during a phytoplankton crash period. Organic matter breakdown in the sediments represented the dominant source of ammonia-N to the system (16.09 mmol m-2 d-1 compared to 2.97 mmol m-2 d-1 directly from fish excretion and 0.28 mmol m-2 d-1 in the inflow), but most, if not all, of this ammonia-N did not reach the water column. It was intercepted by the benthic flora and used to support high levels of benthic productivity (246 mmol O m-2 d-1; 29.72 mmol N m-2 d-1). -from Author

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)163-172
Number of pages10
JournalMarine Ecology - Progress Series
Volume78
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1991
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Aquatic Science
  • Ecology

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