Organic matter input and processing in two contrasting North Sea sediments: insights from stable isotope and biomass data

Oevelen, D.J. Van; Soetaert, Karline; Franco, M.A.; Moodley, Leon; IJzerloo, L.P. Van; Vincx, Magda; Vanaverbeke, Jan

doi:10.3354/meps07921

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Sediment from the fine sandy coastal Stn 115bis (51°09.2' N, 02°37.2' E; 13 m depth) in the Western Coastal Banks area was collected in January and July 2007 with a Van Veen grab from the RV 'Zeeleeuw'. Characteristics of the benthic communities at Stn 115bis are given in Vanaverbeke et al (2008) and van Oevelen et al (2009). Sediment was defaunated by sieving over a 1 mm mesh, followed by freezing and thawing (Schratzberger et al 2004), and stored frozen (-20°C) for 6 wk until the start of the experiment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of macrofauna functional traits and density in biogeochemical fluxes and bioturbation

Braeckman¹,

Provoost²,

Gribsholt³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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176

138

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The importance of different functional traits of macrobenthos in benthic processes of the Southern Bight of the North Sea was investigated to estimate the effects of density declines and species loss on benthic ecosystem functioning. Two laboratory experiments were performed: before (winter, temperature = 10°C) and after (summer, temperature = 18°C) sedimentation of the spring phytoplankton bloom. Single species treatments of key species (Abra alba, Lanice conchilega and Nephtys sp.) with different functional traits were added to microcosms at 3 density levels (natural, lower, lowest) to account for possible density declines. Sediment -water exchanges of oxygen and nutrients, denitrification and bioturbation were measured. In absence of fauna, benthic mineralisation in the summer experiment was 2.0 times higher than in winter. Fauna stimulated microbial respiration more in summer (up to 100% in L. conchilega treatments) than in winter (negligible fauna effect). As chlorophyll a concentrations were similar in both seasons, the stronger fluxes in summer must be explained by a higher macrobenthic activity owing to the elevated temperature and better condition of the animals. Stimulation of mineralisation by the 3 species in the microcosms was different, and behaviour-related. Owing to its irrigation activity, the tube dweller L. conchilega had more pronounced influences on benthic respiration, nutrient release and denitrification than did the biodiffusers, A. alba and Nephtys sp. A. alba appeared to be a more effective bioturbator than Nephtys sp. Processes such as benthic respiration, nutrient fluxes, denitrification and bioturbation seem to be related to animal densities and therefore decreases in densities can possibly have implications for ecosystem functioning.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of macrofauna functional traits and density in biogeochemical fluxes and bioturbation

Braeckman¹,

Provoost²,

Gribsholt³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

Self Cite

176

138

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Characteristics of the benthic communities at Stn 115bis are given in [45] and [39]. Sediment median grain size was 194.6±1.1 µm, sediments comprised 4.2±0.5% silt and 0.09±0.003% organic carbon.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological vs. Physical Mixing Effects on Benthic Food Web Dynamics

et al. 2011

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Biological particle mixing (bioturbation) and solute transfer (bio-irrigation) contribute extensively to ecosystem functioning in sediments where physical mixing is low. Macrobenthos transports oxygen and organic matter deeper into the sediment, thereby likely providing favourable niches to lower trophic levels (i.e., smaller benthic animals such as meiofauna and bacteria) and thus stimulating mineralisation. Whether this biological transport facilitates fresh organic matter assimilation by the metazoan lower part of the food web through niche establishment (i.e., ecosystem engineering) or rather deprives them from food sources, is so far unclear. We investigated the effects of the ecosystem engineers Lanice conchilega (bio-irrigator) and Abra alba (bioturbator) compared to abiotic physical mixing events on survival and food uptake of nematodes after a simulated phytoplankton bloom. The 13C labelled diatom Skeletonema costatum was added to 4 treatments: (1) microcosms containing the bioturbator, (2) microcosms containing the bio-irrigator, (3) control microcosms and (4) microcosms with abiotic manual surface mixing. Nematode survival and subsurface peaks in nematode density profiles were most pronounced in the bio-irrigator treatment. However, nematode specific uptake (Δδ13C) of the added diatoms was highest in the physical mixing treatment, where macrobenthos was absent and the diatom 13C was homogenised. Overall, nematodes fed preferentially on bulk sedimentary organic material rather than the added diatoms. The total C budget (µg C m−2), which included TO13C remaining in the sediment, respiration, nematode and macrobenthic uptake, highlighted the limited assimilation by the metazoan benthos and the major role of bacterial respiration. In summary, bioturbation and especially bio-irrigation facilitated the lower trophic levels mainly over the long-term through niche establishment. Since the freshly added diatoms represented only a limited food source for nematodes, the macrobenthic effect was more pronounced in niche establishment than the negative structuring effects such as competition.

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“…In contrast, at a coarser sediment site organic matter input was dominated by physical processes. The fraction of algal carbon degraded was higher in the fine sediment, indicating the importance of biological mediation by the suspension feeding macrobenthos, which were dominant at that site (van Oevelen et al, 2009). In laboratory experiments, three single key species with different functional traits stimulated microbial respiration more in summer than in winter, and stimulation of mineralisation by the three species was different, and related to their behaviour (Braeckman et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

An unusually large phytoplankton spring bloom drives rapid changes in benthic diversity and ecosystem function

Zhang

Warwick

McNeill

et al. 2015

Progress in Oceanography

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Organic matter input and processing in two contrasting North Sea sediments: insights from stable isotope and biomass data

Cited by 17 publications

References 45 publications

Role of macrofauna functional traits and density in biogeochemical fluxes and bioturbation

Role of macrofauna functional traits and density in biogeochemical fluxes and bioturbation

Biological vs. Physical Mixing Effects on Benthic Food Web Dynamics

An unusually large phytoplankton spring bloom drives rapid changes in benthic diversity and ecosystem function

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