Spatial and temporal variability of denitrification in the sediments of the northern Baltic Proper

Tuominen, Liisa; Heinänen, Anne; Kuparinen, Jorma; Nielsen, Lars Peter

doi:10.3354/meps172013

Cited by 100 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The denitrification rates reported in the present study are similar to those measured in the northern part of the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, but 50 % lower than those found in the southern Bothnian Sea (Stockenberg and Johnstone 1997). Our rates are at least twice as high as rates previously measured in sediment from the open Baltic Proper (Tuominen et al 1998;Deutsch et al 2010), generally comparable to those measured in the Gulf of Finland (Hietanen and Kuparinen 2008;Jäntti et al 2011), but 1.5 to twofold lower than those in muddy sediments of the southern Baltic Sea (Deutsch et al 2010). Compared to measurements in other coastal settings worldwide, our rates and those reported in previous studies from the Baltic are generally low (Seitzinger 1988;Steingruber et al 2001).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Seasonal oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus benthic cycling along an impacted Baltic Sea estuary: regulation and spatial patterns

et al. 2014

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The regulatory roles of temperature, eutrophication and oxygen availability on benthic nitrogen (N) cycling and the stoichiometry of regenerated nitrogen and phosphorus (P) were explored along a Baltic Sea estuary affected by treated sewage discharge. Rates of sediment denitrification, anammox, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), nutrient exchange, oxygen (O 2 ) uptake and penetration were measured seasonally. Sediments not affected by the nutrient plume released by the sewage treatment plant (STP) showed a strong seasonality in rates of O 2 uptake and coupled nitrification-denitrification, with anammox never accounting for more than 20 % of the total dinitrogen (N 2 ) production. N cycling in sediments close to the STP was highly dependent on oxygen availability, which masked temperaturerelated effects. These sediments switched from low N loss and high ammonium (NH 4 ? ) efflux under hypoxic conditions in the fall, to a major N loss system in the winter when the sediment surface was oxidized. In the fall DNRA outcompeted denitrification as the main nitrate (NO 3 -) reduction pathway, resulting in N recycling and potential spreading of eutrophication. A comparison with historical records of nutrient discharge and denitrification indicated that the total N loss in the estuary has been tightly coupled to the total amount of nutrient discharge from the STP. Changes in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) released from the STP agreed well with variations in sedimentary N 2 removal. This indicates that denitrification and anammox efficiently counterbalance N loading in the estuary across the range of historical and present-day anthropogenic nutrient discharge. Overall low N/P ratios of the regenerated nutrient fluxes impose strong N limitation for the pelagic system and generate a high potential for nuisance cyanobacterial blooms.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Seasonal oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus benthic cycling along an impacted Baltic Sea estuary: regulation and spatial patterns

et al. 2014

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“…Compared to sedimentary denitrification in the shallower, oxic areas of the Baltic Sea, however, the water-column nitrogen removal is of small importance. Denitrification rates ranging from 10 mmol N m 22 d 21 to 670 mmol N m 22 d 21 have been measured in the Baltic proper sediments, with the lowest rates in sediments experiencing hypoxia at the seafloor (Tuominen et al 1998;Deutsch et al 2010). While these rates are clearly lower than those measured in March in the water column, they are more constant in time, in the end removing more nitrogen from the Baltic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Natural nitrogen removal is important in counteracting the eutrophication process. For example, in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea, about 30% of annual nitrogen loading was removed by denitrification and anammox in sediments in the 1990s and early 2000s, although the efficiency has decreased in the late 2000s (Tuominen et al 1998;Hietanen and Kuparinen 2008;Jä ntti et al 2011). The removal processes in the Baltic Sea sediments seem to be tolerant against short-term anoxia, but they cease due to lack of substrates if anoxic conditions are prolonged (Tuominen et al 1998;Hietanen and Lukkari 2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypoxia and nitrogen processing in the Baltic Sea water column

Hietanen

Jäntti

Buizert

et al. 2012

Limnology & Oceanography

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Steep redoxclines form between oxic surface water and the stagnant, sulfidic hypolimnion in the eutrophied, brackish water Baltic Sea. Nitrification, denitrification, and anammox were measured at and below the redoxcline to quantify the role of water-column nitrogen processes in the overall magnitude of nitrogen removal in the Baltic Sea. Rates of nitrification were very high (up to 85 nmol N L 21 d 21 ) at the oxic-anoxic interface, but, surprisingly, nitrification was separated from the processes reducing nitrate to N 2 (up to 810 nmol N L 21 d 21 ) by tens of meters in depth. N 2 production was dominated by chemolithotrophic denitrification, with anammox playing only a negligible role, and limited to the water layers in which nitrite or nitrate coexisted with sulfide. The alternating oxygen concentrations in the basin induce irregular bursts of nitrogen removal. Nitrification takes place after mixing of ammonium-rich deep water with oxic water, and denitrification uses the formed nitrite and nitrate once anoxic conditions re-establish. Although removal rates can be high, conditions allowing such rates are likely short-lived. While the sedimentary denitrification rates at the shallower, oxic areas are lower, they are more constant in time, highlighting the need to avoid hypoxia, which would prevent sedimentary denitrification.

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“…The three main factors influencing benthic denitrification are temperature, supplies of NO 3 -and availability of organic carbon (Smith et al, 1985;Yoon and Benner, 1992;Tuominen et al, 1998). Eriksson et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variability of denitrification efficiency in northern salt marshes: An example from the St. Lawrence Estuary

Poulin

Pelletier

Saint-Louis

2007

Marine Environmental Research

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Spatial and temporal variability of denitrification in the sediments of the northern Baltic Proper

Cited by 100 publications

References 30 publications

Seasonal oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus benthic cycling along an impacted Baltic Sea estuary: regulation and spatial patterns

Seasonal oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus benthic cycling along an impacted Baltic Sea estuary: regulation and spatial patterns

Hypoxia and nitrogen processing in the Baltic Sea water column

Seasonal variability of denitrification efficiency in northern salt marshes: An example from the St. Lawrence Estuary

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