Eutrophication and Deoxygenation Drive High Methane Emissions from a Brackish Coastal System

Abstract

Coastal environments are a major source of marine methane in the atmosphere. Eutrophication and deoxygenation have the potential to amplify the coastal methane emissions. Here, we investigate methane dynamics in the eutrophic Stockholm Archipelago. We cover a range of sites with contrasting water column redox conditions and rates of organic matter degradation, with the latter reflected by the depth of the sulfate−methane transition zone (SMTZ) in the sediment. We find the highest benthic release of methane (2.2−8.6 mmol m −2 d −1 ) at sites where the SMTZ is located close to the sediment−water interface (2−10 cm). A large proportion of methane is removed in the water column via aerobic or anaerobic microbial pathways. At many locations, water column methane is highly depleted in 13 C, pointing toward substantial bubble dissolution. Calculated and measured rates of methane release to the atmosphere range from 0.03 to 0.4 mmol m −2 d −1 and from 0.1 to 1.7 mmol m −2 d −1 , respectively, with the highest fluxes at locations with a shallow SMTZ and anoxic and sulfidic bottom waters. Taken together, our results show that sites suffering most from both eutrophication and deoxygenation are hotspots of coastal marine methane emissions.