Controls on organic matter distribution in oxygen minimum zone sediments from the continental slope off western India

2020 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 103118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siby Kurian ◽  
Pratima M. Kessarkar ◽  
V. Purnachandra Rao ◽  
K. Reshma ◽  
Amit Sarkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Continental Slope ◽  
Oxygen Minimum Zone ◽  
Western India ◽  
Matter Distribution ◽  
Minimum Zone ◽  
Oxygen Minimum ◽  
Organic Matter Distribution

scholarly journals Sink or link? The bacterial role in benthic carbon cycling in the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 6879-6891 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Pozzato ◽  
D. Van Oevelen ◽  
L. Moodley ◽  
K. Soetaert ◽  
J. J. Middelburg
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Oxygen Minimum Zone ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Isotope Tracer ◽  
Oxygen Conditions ◽  
Minimum Zone ◽  
Oxygen Minimum

Abstract. The bacterial loop, the consumption of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by bacteria and subsequent transfer of bacterial carbon to higher trophic levels, plays a prominent role in pelagic food webs. However, its role in sedimentary ecosystems is not well documented. Here we present the results of isotope tracer experiments performed under in situ oxygen conditions in sediments from inside and outside the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) to study the importance of the microbial loop in this setting. Particulate organic matter, added as phytodetritus, was processed by bacteria, protozoa and metazoans, while dissolved organic matter was processed only by bacteria and there was very little, if any, transfer to higher trophic levels within the 7 day experimental period. This lack of significant transfer of bacterial-derived carbon to metazoan consumers indicates that the bacterial loop is rather inefficient, in sediments both inside and outside the OMZ. Moreover, metazoans directly consumed labile particulate organic matter resources and thus competed with bacteria for phytodetritus.

scholarly journals Nitrogen cycling driven by organic matter export in the South Pacific oxygen minimum zone

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Kalvelage ◽  
Gaute Lavik ◽  
Phyllis Lam ◽  
Sergio Contreras ◽  
Lionel Arteaga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Oxygen Minimum Zone ◽  
The South ◽  
Minimum Zone ◽  
Oxygen Minimum

Oxygen and organic matter thresholds for benthic faunal activity on the Pakistan margin oxygen minimum zone (700–1100m)

2009 ◽  
Vol 56 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 449-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Levin ◽  
Christine R. Whitcraft ◽  
Guillermo F. Mendoza ◽  
Jennifer P. Gonzalez ◽  
Greg Cowie
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Oxygen Minimum Zone ◽  
Minimum Zone ◽  
Oxygen Minimum

scholarly journals Sediment release of dissolved organic matter to the oxygen minimum zone off Peru

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra N. Loginova ◽  
Andrew W. Dale ◽  
Frédéric A. C. LeMoigne ◽  
Sören Thomsen ◽  
Stefan Sommer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Oxygen Minimum Zone ◽  
Water Interface ◽  
Sediment Release ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
Minimum Zone ◽  
Oxygen Minimum

Abstract. The eastern tropical South Pacific (ETSP) represents one of the most productive areas in the ocean that is characterized by a pronounced oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Particulate organic matter (POM) that sinks out of the euphotic zone is supplied to the anoxic sediments and utilized by microbial communities. The degradation of POM is associated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) production and reworking. The release of recalcitrant DOM to the overlying waters may represent an important organic matter escape mechanism from remineralization within sediments but received little attention in OMZ regions so far. Here, we combine measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) with DOM optical properties in the form of chromophoric (CDOM) and fluorescent (FDOM) DOM from pore waters and near-bottom waters of the ETSP off Peru. We evaluate diffusion–driven fluxes and net in situ fluxes of DOC and DON in order to investigate processes affecting DOM cycling at the sediment–water interface along a transect 12° S. To our knowledge, these are the first data for sediment release of DON and pore water CDOM and FDOM for the ETSP off Peru. Pore-water DOC and DON accumulated with increasing sediment depth, suggesting an imbalance between DOM production and remineralization within sediments. High DON accumulation resulted in very low pore water DOC / DON ratios (> 1) which could be caused by either an imbalance in DOC and DON remineralization, or to the presence of an additional nitrogen source. Diffusion driven fluxes of DOC and DON exhibited high spatial variability. They varied from 0.2–0.1 mmol m−2 d−1 to 2.52–1.3 mmol m−2 d−1 and from −0.042–0.02 mmol m−2 d−1 to 3.32–1.7 mmol m−2 d−1, respectively. Generally low net in situ DOC and DON fluxes as well as steepening of spectral slope (S) of CDOM and accumulation of humic-like FDOM at the near-bottom waters over time indicated active microbial DOM utilization at the sediment–water interface, potentially stimulated by nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−). The microbial DOC utilization rates, estimated in our study, may be sufficient to support denitrification rates of 0.2–1.4 mmol m−2 d−1, suggesting that sediment release of DOM contributes substantially to nitrogen loss processes in the ETSP off Peru.

scholarly journals Sediment release of dissolved organic matter to the oxygen minimum zone off Peru

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 4663-4679
Author(s):  
Alexandra N. Loginova ◽  
Andrew W. Dale ◽  
Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne ◽  
Sören Thomsen ◽  
Stefan Sommer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Nitrogen Loss ◽  
Oxygen Minimum Zone ◽  
Water Interface ◽  
Sediment Release ◽  
Minimum Zone ◽  
Oxygen Minimum

Abstract. The eastern tropical South Pacific (ETSP) represents one of the most productive areas in the ocean that is characterised by a pronounced oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Particulate organic matter (POM) that sinks out of the euphotic zone is supplied to the anoxic sediments and utilised by microbial communities, and the degradation of POM is associated with the production and reworking of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The release of DOM to the overlying waters may, therefore, represent an important organic matter escape mechanism from remineralisation within sediments but has received little attention in OMZ regions so far. Here, we combine measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) with DOM optical properties in the form of chromophoric (CDOM) and fluorescent (FDOM) DOM from pore waters and near-bottom waters of the ETSP off Peru. We evaluate diffusion-driven fluxes and net in situ fluxes of DOC and DON to investigate processes affecting DOM cycling at the sediment–water interface along a transect at 12∘ S. To our knowledge, these are the first data for sediment release of DON and pore water CDOM and FDOM for the ETSP off Peru. Pore water DOC accumulated with increasing sediment depth, suggesting an imbalance between DOM production and remineralisation within sediments. High DON accumulation resulted in very low pore water DOC ∕ DON ratios (≤1) which could be caused by an “uncoupling” in DOC and DON remineralisation. Diffusion-driven fluxes of DOC and DON exhibited high spatial variability and ranged from 0.2±0.1 to 2.5±1.3 mmolm-2d-1 and from -0.04±0.02 to 3.3±1.7 mmolm-2d-1, respectively. Generally low net in situ DOC and DON fluxes, as well as a steepening of spectral inclination (S) of CDOM and an increase in humic-like DOM at the sediment–water interface over time, indicated active microbial DOM utilisation. The latter may potentially be stimulated by the presence of nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) in the water column. The microbial DOC utilisation rates, estimated in our study, are potentially sufficient to support denitrification rates of 0.2–1.4 mmolm-2d-1, suggesting that the sediment release of DOM may on occasion contribute to nitrogen loss processes in the ETSP off Peru.

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