Microscale distribution of oxygen and nitrate in sediment inhabited by Nereis diversicolor: spatial patterns and estimated reaction rates

Nielsen, Ole I.; Gribsholt, B.; Kristensen, Erik; Revsbech, Niels Peter

doi:10.3354/ame034023

Cited by 76 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Nereis diversicolor, Kristensen & Hansen 1999). Thus, regardless of the contribution of N by crab excretions and passive deposition into burrows of sediment rich in OM and organic N (Botto et al 2006), crab burrow walls may act like polychaete burrows, stimulating microbial activity (Kristensen 1985, Nielsen et al 2004, our results), and enhancing not only the production but also the export of remineralized DIN.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Furthermore, anaerobic pathways of OM degradation are also stimulated by C. granulatus. Similar to sediments affected by the polychaete Nereis diversicolor, where nitrification occurs between 0.9 and 1.5 mm and nitrate reduction occurs in the nitratecontaining deep layers (Nielsen et al 2004), C. granulatus also affects nitrate concentrations in relation to depth and distance to burrows. Moreover, the interaction between depth and sediment type (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the dominant SW Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulatus on sediment chemistry and nutrient distribution

Fanjul¹,

Grela²,

Iribarne³

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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) than in non-bioturbated sediments (kG = 4.9 ± 17.8 µM s -1 if unoccupied burrows were present; kG = 0.02 ± 0.013 µM s -1 without burrows). Model-estimated denitrification rates revealed that OM degradation pathways are also affected by C. granulatus activities and their burrows. These changes in the sediment chemistry that are directly and indirectly produced by C. granulatus could comprise the force that drives the pathways of microbial processes and nutrient flows to neighbouring systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the dominant SW Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulatus on sediment chemistry and nutrient distribution

Fanjul¹,

Grela²,

Iribarne³

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…The sedimentary intracellular nitrate pool might be controlled by the rates of nitrogen mineralisation and nitrification in the sediment. Both processes are stimulated by the oxygenation of the sediment by tidal currents and by ventilation of macrofaunal burrows (Kristensen 2001, Nielsen et al 2004, de Beer et al 2005. Additionally, some macrofauna species enrich the sediment with organic matter due to their feeding activities (Christensen et al 2000), but also digest organic matter in their gut, which further enhances mineralisation and ammonium regeneration (Gardner et al 1993).…”

Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nitrification might be stimulated by the increased oxygen availability due to searching and foraging activities of the polychaete. In deeper sediment layers, burrow ventilation and ammonium excretion may increase both oxygen and ammonium availability and consequently nitrification in the thin oxic layer of the worm burrows (Mayer et al 1995, Nielsen et al 2004. However, the excretion activity of the polychaete may also affect nitrification at the sediment surface if a substantial fraction of the ammonium excreted is expelled into the water column due to the worm's ventilation activity.…”

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confidence: 99%

Indirect control of the intracellular nitrate pool of intertidal sediment by the polychaete Hediste diversicolor

Heisterkamp¹,

Kamp²,

Schramm³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In an intertidal flat of the German Wadden Sea, a large sedimentary pool of intracellular nitrate was discovered that by far exceeded the pool of nitrate that was freely dissolved in the porewater. Intracellular nitrate was even present deep in anoxic sediment layers where it might be used for anaerobic respiration processes. The origin and some of the ecological controls of this intracellular nitrate pool were investigated in a laboratory experiment. Sediment microcosms were set up with and without the abundant polychaete Hediste diversicolor that is known to stimulate nitrate production by microbial nitrification in the sediment. Additional treatments were amended with ammonium to mimic ammonium excretion by the worms or with allylthiourea (ATU) to inhibit nitrification by sediment bacteria. H. diversicolor and ammonium increased, while ATU decreased the intracellular nitrate pool in the sediment. Microsensor profiles of porewater nitrate showed that bacterial nitrification was enhanced by worms and ammonium addition. Thus, nitrification formed an important nitrate supply for the intracellular nitrate pool in the sediment. The vertical distribution of intracellular nitrate matched that of the photopigments chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin, strongly suggesting that diatoms were the main nitrate-storing organisms. Intracellular nitrate formation is thus stimulated by the interaction of phylogenetically distant groups of organisms: worms enhance nitrification by feeding on particulate organic matter, excreting ammonium and oxygenating the sediment; bacteria oxidise ammonium to nitrate in oxic sediment layers; and diatoms store nitrate intracellularly. KEY WORDS: Intertidal sediment · Wadden Sea · Nitrogen cycle · Intracellular nitrate · Microphytobenthos · Macrofauna · Nereis diversicolor · Trophic interaction Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 445: [181][182][183][184][185][186][187][188][189][190][191][192] 2012 and probably also intracellular nitrate for nitrogen assimilation (Lomas & Glibert 2000, Sundbäck & Miles 2000.The ability to store nitrate intracellularly may be particularly advantageous in intertidal flats, which are very dynamic ecosystems. Benthic organisms must cope with frequent changes in the availability of e.g. light, oxygen and nutrients due to tidal and diurnal rhythms. Another source of perturbation in intertidal flats is the presence of macrofauna that rework large amounts of sediment and the microorganisms therein (e.g. Bouchet et al. 2009). Some polychaetes construct deep-reaching burrows and enhance solute exchange between sediment and the water column due to their ventilation activity (Kristensen 2001). Many species of intertidal macrofauna feed on sediment microorganisms and thereby decrease microbial populations or keep them in the exponential growth phase (Herman et al. 2000, Blanchard et al. 2001). Under such transient conditions, the nitrate storage capacity awards sediment microorganisms with the steady availa...

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“…Wenzhofer & Glud 2004, Timmermann et al 2006, allowing aerobic processes to occur in otherwise reduced sediments (Nielsen et al 2004). Irrigated burrows often show enhanced activity of biogeochemical processes (Kristensen et al 1985, Mayer et al 1995, Papaspyrou et al 2006) and both bacteria and meiofauna are often more abundant in burrows and tubes compared with the surrounding sediment (Reise 1981, Papaspyrou et al 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the polychaetes Arenicola marina and Nereis diversicolor on microbial pyrene mineralization

Timmermann¹,

Banta²,

Johnsen³

et al. 2008

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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The effects of 2 polychaetes, Nereis diversicolor and Arenicola marina, on the microbial mineralization of the organic contaminant pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), were followed over 44 d. We also examined whether the effect of the polychaetes was caused by enhanced oxygen supply, altered pyrene bioavailability and/or a changed abundance or activity of pyrenedegrading bacteria. The presence of polychaetes enhanced microbial pyrene mineralization by 180 to 200% compared with defaunated sediment. Collectively, the replicates of the different treatments showed that mineralization rates were positively correlated with the amount of oxidized sediment, which comprised mainly the 3 mm surface layer and zones around burrows (burrow sediment). The biogenic sediment structures had similar mineralization potential and abundance of pyrene-degrading bacteria as surface sediments. Pyrene mineralization potential in bulk (reduced and presumably anoxic) sediment was significantly lower than for surface and burrow sediments. However, when the bulk sediments were oxidized, mineralization rates increased rapidly. Collectively, these data indicate that oxygen availability controlled pyrene mineralization in these experiments. On the other hand, the presence of the polychaetes significantly reduced the bioavailability of pyrene to the microbial degraders. Pyrene bioavailability in burrow sediment was always lower than the bioavailability in both surface and bulk sediments. In addition, N. diversicolor and especially A. marina decreased the bioavailability of pyrene in surface sediments compared with that of surface sediments in the non-bioturbated control. In conclusion, these polychaetes enhanced microbial pyrene mineralization significantly and this enhancement seemed to be caused by the increased oxygen supply due to burrow construction and irrigation. In contrast, these worms decreased pyrene bioavailability and, hence, counteracted to some extent the stimulating effect of irrigation.

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Microscale distribution of oxygen and nitrate in sediment inhabited by Nereis diversicolor: spatial patterns and estimated reaction rates

Cited by 76 publications

References 39 publications

Effects of the dominant SW Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulatus on sediment chemistry and nutrient distribution

Effects of the dominant SW Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulatus on sediment chemistry and nutrient distribution

Indirect control of the intracellular nitrate pool of intertidal sediment by the polychaete Hediste diversicolor

Effects of the polychaetes Arenicola marina and Nereis diversicolor on microbial pyrene mineralization

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