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Organic matter input and processing in two contrasting North Sea sediments: insights from stable isotope and biomass data
van Oevelen, D.; Soetaert, K.; Franco, M.A.; Moodley, L.; van Ijzerloo, L.; Vincx, M.; Vanaverbeke, J. (2009). Organic matter input and processing in two contrasting North Sea sediments: insights from stable isotope and biomass data. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 380: 19-32. dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps07921
In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. Inter-Research: Oldendorf/Luhe. ISSN 0171-8630; e-ISSN 1616-1599
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open Marine Archive 147306 [ download pdf ]
Keywords
    Algal blooms
    Benthic algae
    Benthic communities
    Coastal
    Food webs
    Isotopes > Carbon isotopes
    Isotopes > Nitrogen isotopes
    Organic matter
    Sediments
    ANE, Belgium, Belgian Continental Shelf (BCS) [Marine Regions]; ANE, North Sea [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Food web; Carbon isotope; Nitrogen isotope; Coastal sediment; North sea; Permeable sediment; Benthic; Pelagic coupling
Authors  Top 
  • van Oevelen, D.
  • Soetaert, K.
  • Franco, M.A.
  • Moodley, L.
  • van Ijzerloo, L.
  • Vincx, M.
  • Vanaverbeke, J.
Abstract
    Organic matter input and processing was studied in 2 contrasting sediments (Stn 115FINE and Stn 330COARSE) in the southern North Sea. The sediments are subjected to similar hydrodynamic conditions, but Stn 115FINE underlies a high turbidity zone, making it a fine, low-permeability sediment. Monthly data on chlorophyll a (chl a), d13C and d15N of particulate organic matter in the water column and sediment showed that the algal spring bloom deposition created a strong vertical gradient of sedimentary chl a at Stn 115FINE. Macrobenthic biomass (78 ± 60 g Cm-2, mean ± SD) was dominated by suspension feeders, suggesting biological mediation of the organic matter input. In contrast, the offshore Stn 330COARSE is a coarse, high-permeability sediment in which chl a penetrated centimeters deep due to physically mediated input. The macrobenthic community, low in biomass (3.8 ± 2.4 g Cm-2), was dominated by mobile polychaetes and epibenthic amphipods, which is characteristic of physically disturbed sediments. Overall, sediment characteristics played an important but indirect role in the organic matter input and processing. At Stn 115FINE, a large macrobenthic community developed that mediated the input of organic matter to the sediment through herbivore and predatory pathways. At Stn 330COARSE, in contrast, organic matter input seemed to be dominated by physical processes. Overall, the fraction of algal carbon degraded in the sediment was higher at Stn 115FINE than at Stn 330COARSE, indicating that the physical input at Stn 330COARSE was less efficient than the biological input at Stn 115FINE.
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