Towards benthic ecosystem functioning maps: Quantifying bioturbation potential in the German part of the Baltic Sea

Gogina, Mayya; Morys, Claudia; Förster, Stefan; Gräwe, Ulf; Friedland, René; Zettler, Michael L.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.10.025

Cited by 45 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Burrow-mottling is caused by infaunal macrozoobenthos such as burrowing polychaetes and bivalves that leave behind traces and structures according to their living and feeding behaviour. Recent macrozoobenthic studies in the south-western Baltic Sea have compiled and analysed the present organisms and their bioturbation potential (Schiele et al, 2015;Gogina et al, 2017;Morys et al, 2017). Hydrodynamic mixing or hydroturbation refers to all sediment mixing and transport processes that are induced by water movements caused by wind and currents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural and Anthropogenic Sediment Mixing Processes in the South-Western Baltic Sea

et al. 2019

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Natural and anthropogenic sediment mixing can significantly impact the fidelity of sedimentary records of climate and environmental variability and human impact. This can lead to incorrect interpretations of the previous state(s) of a given ecosystem, its forcing mechanisms, and its future development. Here, natural and anthropogenic sediment mixing processes (i.e., bioturbation, hydroturbation and direct anthropogenic impact) are investigated in the southwestern Baltic Sea by sedimentological, ichnological, geochemical, and radionuclide analyses to assess their impact on timemarker profiles and sediment deposition. Depth profiles of mercury and caesium-137 display a varyingly strong disturbance down to 5-25 cm. The deviations from undisturbed profiles can be used to estimate the relative degree of sediment mixing. Sedimentary fabric analysis of high-resolution X-radiographs provides further insight into bioturbation. Ichnofossils identified in short sediment cores suggest that the primary sedimentary structure is partly overprinted by burrowing organisms living in the upper 5-7 cm of sediment. Meteorological and hydrological data from automated measuring stations combined with results from resuspension experiments show that hydrodynamic events, such as storms and saline water inflows from the North Sea, have the potential to resuspend and laterally transport sediment particles in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Partially graded layers in the scale of mm to cm in the investigated cores are likely associated with such hydrodynamic events. Multiple generations of linear traces on the seafloor are made visible through sidescan-sonar mapping and document a strong anthroturbation in the muddy sediments of the Mecklenburg Bight and the Arkona Basin, e.g., by bottom trawling. Depending on the core location and assumed mixing depth, determined mean net linear sedimentation rates range between 0 and 3.5 mm/a and reconstructed net mass accumulation rates range between 0 and 1.86 kg/m 2 /a in the mud basins. The calculable inventory of anthropogenic contaminants in the sediments illustrates the important, at least temporary storage function of the mud basins and of the adjacent sandy areas over industrial times. The findings of this study help identify the

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural and Anthropogenic Sediment Mixing Processes in the South-Western Baltic Sea

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“…Studies have also used established proxies to assess the spatial variability in single ecosystem functions such as secondary production (Bolam and Eggleton ) or bioturbation (Gogina et al. ). Interestingly, hot spots for ecosystem functionality have also been identified by encompassing a range of ecosystem processes in several habitats (Eyre and Maher ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This has been increasingly recognized and studies to date have estimated the spatial variability in ecosystem functions by, for example, considering variation in the number of traits important for ecosystem processes (Rees et al 2012) or by identifying differences in the trait expression of benthic communities between contrasting environmental settings (Bolam et al 2017). Studies have also used established proxies to assess the spatial variability in single ecosystem functions such as secondary production (Bolam and Eggleton 2014) or bioturbation (Gogina et al 2017). Interestingly, hot spots for ecosystem functionality have also been identified by encompassing a range of ecosystem processes in several habitats (Eyre and Maher 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Template for using biological trait groupings when exploring large‐scale variation in seafloor multifunctionality

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Hewitt

Snickars

et al. 2017

Ecological Applications

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Abstract. Understanding large-scale spatial variation in ecosystem properties and associated functionality is key for successful conservation of ecosystems. This study provides a template for how to estimate differences in ecosystem functionality over large spatial scales by using groupings of biological traits. We focus on trait groupings that describe three important benthic ecosystem properties, namely bioturbation, community stability, and juvenile dispersal. Recognizing that groups of traits interact and are constrained within an organism, we statistically define important functional trait subgroups that describe each ecosystem property. The sub-groups are scored according to their weighted ecological impact to gain an overall estimation of the cumulative expression of each ecosystem property at individual sites. Furthermore, by assigning each property a value relative to its observed maximum, and by summing up the individual property values, we offer an estimate of benthic ecosystem multifunctionality. Based on a spatially extensive benthic data set, we were able to identify coastal areas with high and low potential for the considered benthic ecosystem properties and the measure of ecosystem multifunctionality. Importantly, we show that a large part of the spatial variation in functional trait sub-groups and in benthic ecosystem multifunctionality was explained by environmental change. Our results indicate that through this simplification it is possible to estimate the functionality of the seafloor. Such information is vital in marine spatial planning efforts striving to balance the utilization with the preservation of natural resources.

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“…In environments with oxic bottom waters, we assume that in addition to waves and currents, macrofaunal animals or demersal fish can resuspend organic material from the fluff layer by active movements (Graf and Rosenberg, 1997). Therefore, under oxic conditions, we assume that r biores = 3 % day −1 of the fluff material is resuspended independently from the shear stress conditions.…”

Section: Bioerosionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…-Benthic biomass and the primary production of benthic microalgae exceeds that of the phytoplankton in the overlying waters (Glud et al, 2009;Pinckney and Zingmark, 1993;Colijn and De Jonge, 1984) and represents a major food source for benthic organisms (Cahoon et al, 1999). In shallow regions, benthic primary production oxygenates the water column and competes with the pelagic one for nutrients (Cadée and Hegeman, 1974).…”

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Ecological ReGional Ocean Model with vertically resolved sediments (ERGOM SED 1.0): coupling benthic and pelagic biogeochemistry of the south-western Baltic Sea

et al. 2019

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Sediments play an important role in organic matter mineralisation and nutrient recycling, especially in shallow marine systems. Marine ecosystem models, however, often only include a coarse representation of processes beneath the sea floor. While these parameterisations may give a reasonable description of the present ecosystem state, they lack predictive capacity for possible future changes, which can only be obtained from mechanistic modelling.This paper describes an integrated benthic-pelagic ecosystem model developed for the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the western Baltic Sea. The model is a hybrid of two existing models: the pelagic part of the marine ecosystem model ERGOM and an early diagenetic model by Reed et al. (2011). The latter one was extended to include the carbon cycle, a determination of precipitation and dissolution reactions which accounts for salinity differences, an explicit description of the adsorption of clay minerals, and an alternative pyrite formation pathway. We present a one-dimensional application of the model to seven sites with different sediment types. The model was calibrated with observed pore water profiles and validated with results of sediment composition, bioturbation rates and bentho-pelagic fluxes gathered by in situ incubations of sediments (benthic chambers). The model results generally give a reasonable fit to the observations, even if some deviations are observed, e.g. an overestimation of sulfide concentrations in the sandy sediments. We therefore consider it a good first step towards a threedimensional representation of sedimentary processes in coupled pelagic-benthic ecosystem models of the Baltic Sea.Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union.

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Towards benthic ecosystem functioning maps: Quantifying bioturbation potential in the German part of the Baltic Sea

Cited by 45 publications

References 44 publications

Natural and Anthropogenic Sediment Mixing Processes in the South-Western Baltic Sea

Natural and Anthropogenic Sediment Mixing Processes in the South-Western Baltic Sea

Template for using biological trait groupings when exploring large‐scale variation in seafloor multifunctionality

Ecological ReGional Ocean Model with vertically resolved sediments (ERGOM SED 1.0): coupling benthic and pelagic biogeochemistry of the south-western Baltic Sea

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