Fluxes and budget of organic matter in the benthic boundary layer over the northwestern Mediterranean margin

Buscail, Roselyne; Pocklington, Roger; Daumas, R.; Guidi, L.D.

doi:10.1016/0278-4343(90)90076-x

Cited by 119 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The C/N and C/P ratios were well above those characteristic of the particulate organic deposition in open (Copin-Montegut and Copin-Montegut 1983;Gadel et al 1990) and coastal (Buscail et al 1990;Dauby et al 1995) Mediterranean waters. The high carbon to nutrient ratios indicate a significant contribution of nutrient-poor detrital material, likely derived from land inputs, to the particle flux at Fanals point.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Carbon and nutrient deposition in a Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow

Gacia¹,

Duarte²,

Middelburg³

2002

Limnology & Oceanography

228

157

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The annual depositional flux of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) to the sediments under a northeast Spain Posidonia oceanica meadow was evaluated, and the sources and fate of the material deposited elucidated. The annual deposition of carbon represented 198 g C m Ϫ2 yr Ϫ1, 72% of which was derived from the seston and 28% from P. oceanica detritus. The depositional flux was poor in nitrogen (13.4 g N m Ϫ2 yr Ϫ1 ) and phosphorous (2.01 g P m Ϫ2 yr Ϫ1 ), although comparable to the nutrient inputs required to support the growth of P. oceanica. Remineralization in the sediment only returned 15.6 g C m Ϫ2 yr Ϫ1, yielding a net carbon accumulation of 182 g C m Ϫ2 yr Ϫ1. Our results show that in the Mediterranean littoral P. oceanica meadows are important sites of net organic carbon burial, derived from sedimented sestonic particles and seagrass detritus.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Carbon and nutrient deposition in a Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow

Gacia¹,

Duarte²,

Middelburg³

2002

Limnology & Oceanography

228

157

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“…The Chl a / Phaeo a ratio does not show any significant differences within the two parts of the canyon. As previously suggested Buscail et al, 1990;Courp and Monaco, 1990), advection and channelisation may not be the only sedimentation and accumulation processes involved. In frontal zones, "pulse" sedimentation may also induce temporary higher particulate material concentrations in axis canyons, as well as in deep interfluves.…”

Section: Variations Linked To Canyon Geomorphologymentioning

confidence: 69%

Phytodetritus at the sediment-water interface, NW Mediterranean Basin: spatial repartition, living cells signatures, meiofaunal relationships

Riaux-Gobin¹,

Dinet²,

Dugué³

et al. 2004

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: The deep-sea phytodetritus at the sediment-water interface was investigated in the continental margin, canyons and interfluves from 260 to 2070 m depth in the northwestern Mediterranean in June 1995. Overlying phytoplankton biomass, hydrodynamics and relationships with meiofauna densities were also evaluated. The phytoplankton biomass was low (< 0.2 µg Chl a l -1 ), with the lowest standing stocks on the eastern part of the Balearic Basin. Two sedimentary entities were identified: 1) the west coast where pigment concentrations were higher, with an average of 0.38 µg Chl a g -1 dry weight and 4.60 Phaeo a g -1 dw on the first half cm of sediments; and 2) the eastern part of the North Balearic basin where pigment concentrations were significantly lower (0.15 µg Chl a g -1 dw). A north to south gradient was observed, with higher pigment amounts on the Rhodanian slope. Differences were found in the different parts of the studied canyons, with a slight increase in the Axis sites. The vertical pigment repartition was a gradual decrease in the Interfluve sites, whereas concentrations decreased sharply below the first cm in the Axis sites, attesting differences in sedimentation, grazing or bioturbation within the different canyon parts. The north to south gradient in the phytoplankton Chl a/Chl b ratio and sedimented phytodetritus attest geographical differences within phytoplankton assemblages (i.e. diatoms are absent in the south). The epifluorescence tests from the interface revealed the presence of living microphytes at the northern sites, associated with aggregates and faeces. No consistent fluff was evidenced anywhere. The revival tests also agree with a north to south trend. The Meiofaunal density was positively related to the quality of the sedimented layer. A PCA, within the major parameters and factors, illustrates these relationships. All results allow two distinct geographical sectors to be discriminated around the frontal zone: the NW and E sides of the NW Mediterranean Basin, following in particular their contrasted hydrodynamics. The results indicated the relationships within phytoplankton input, underlying phytodetritic layer and meiofauna. They confirm the well-documented statement that demonstrates the deep-sea floor chloropigment concentration to be a good proxy for the overlying primary productivity, but also that some pigment ratios representative of plankton assemblages are preserved on surficial deep sediments, even after sedimentation and grazing.Key-words: deep-sea phytodetritus, meiofauna, phytoplankton, NW Mediterranean Basin. RESUMEN: FITODETRITOS EN LA INTERFASE SEDIMENTO-AGUA, CUENCA MEDITERRÁNEA NORDOCCIDENTAL: DISTRIBUCIÓN ESPACIAL, SEÑALES DE CÉLULAS VIVAS, RELACIONES CON LA MEIOFAUNA. -Se investigó el detrito de agua profunda en la interface sedimento-agua en el margen continental, caniones y interfluves entre 260 y 2070 m de profundidad en el mar Mediterráneo Noroccidental en junio de 1995. La biomasa de fitoplancton flotante, la hidrodinámica, y las relaciones con las densida...

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“…The ∼ 9-8.2 ka interval is marked by highest SR values and high terrestrial supply, as also indicated by the high C : N a ratio (> 13) ( Fig. 4a) (Buscail and Germain, 1997;Buscail et al, 1990;Gordon and Goñi, 2003;Kim et al, 2006). The C : N a ratios ∼ 20, indicative of even larger enrichment in organic material originating from soils or plant debris in the coarse deposit at the very bottom of the core (700 cm) (Hedges and Oades, 1997;Meyers and Ishiwatari, 1993), are of note.…”

Section: Early Holocene (117-82 Ka Cal Bp)mentioning

confidence: 82%

Holocene hydrological changes in the Rhône River (NW Mediterranean) as recorded in the marine mud belt

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Expanded marine Holocene archives are relatively scarce in the Mediterranean Sea because most of the sediments were trapped in catchment areas during this period. Mud belts are the most suitable targets to access expanded Holocene records. These sedimentary bodies represent excellent archives for the study of sea-land interactions and notably the impact of the hydrological activity on sediment accumulation. We retrieved a 7.2 m long sediment core from the Rhône mud belt in the Gulf of Lions in an area where the average accumulation rate is ca. 0.70 m 1000 yr −1 . This core thus provides a continuous and high-resolution record of the last 10 ka cal BP. A multiproxy dataset (XRF core scan, 14 C dates, grain size and organic-matter analysis) combined with seismic stratigraphic analysis was used to document decadal to centennial changes in the Rhône hydrological activity. Our results show that (1) the early Holocene was characterized by high sediment delivery likely indicative of local intense (but short-duration) rainfall events, (2) important sediment delivery around 7 ka cal BP presumably related to increased river flux, (3) a progressive increase in continental/marine input during the mid-Holocene despite increased distance from river outlets due to sea-level rise possibly related to higher atmospheric humidity caused by the southward migration of the storm tracks in the North Atlantic, (4) multidecadal to centennial humid events took place in the late Holocene. Some of these events correspond to the cold periods identified in the North Atlantic (Little Ice Age, LIA; Dark Ages Cold Period) and also coincide with time intervals of major floods in the northern Alps. Other humid events are also observed during relatively warm periods (Roman Humid Period and Medieval Climate Anomaly).

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Fluxes and budget of organic matter in the benthic boundary layer over the northwestern Mediterranean margin

Cited by 119 publications

References 45 publications

Carbon and nutrient deposition in a Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow

Carbon and nutrient deposition in a Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow

Phytodetritus at the sediment-water interface, NW Mediterranean Basin: spatial repartition, living cells signatures, meiofaunal relationships

Holocene hydrological changes in the Rhône River (NW Mediterranean) as recorded in the marine mud belt

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