To elucidate the spatial-temporal impact of invasive saltmarsh plant Spartina anglica on the biogeochemical processes in coastal wetlands, we investigated the rates and partitioning of organic carbon (C) mineralization in three representative benthic habitats: (1) vegetated sediments inhabited by invasive S. anglica (SA); vegetated sediments by indigenous Suaeda japonica; and (3) unvegetated mud flats. Microbial metabolic rates were greatly stimulated at the SA site during the active growing seasons of Spartina, indicating that a substantial amount of organic substrates was supplied from the high below-ground biomass of Spartina.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe conducted experiments to investigate the effects of finfish aquaculture and to propose appropriate proxies for assessing their environmental impact. Due to enhanced fish feed input, sulfate reduction (SR) and the resulting metabolic products (HS, NH, PO) were significantly greater at the farm than at the control site. Benthic release of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) from farm sediment accounted for 52-837% and 926-1048%, respectively, of the potential DIN and DIP demand for phytoplankton production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOccurrence of typhoons accompanied by heavy precipitation has increased for the past 40 years in northeast Asia. To elucidate the impact of three consecutive typhoon-induced heavy rainfall events and resultant freshwater runoff on the partitioning of organic carbon (C) oxidation and nutrient dynamics, we investigated the geochemical constituents, the rate of anaerobic C oxidation, sulfate reduction (SR), iron reduction (FeR) and P speciation in the intertidal mud flat of the Han River estuary, Yellow Sea. C oxidation by SR and FeR and their metabolic products (∑CO, NH, HS, Fe) decreased significantly (P < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated sediment geochemistry, partitioning of organic carbon (C) oxidation by iron reduction (FeR) and sulfate reduction (SR), and benthic phosphorus (P) release, together with the P speciation in the sediments to elucidate the P dynamics in two contrasting sediments (i.e., estuarine vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the environmental impacts of long-line aquaculture of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) on sediment geochemistry and carbon oxidation by sulfate reduction and diffusive benthic nutrient flux in a coastal ecosystem in Korea. Inventories of the NH4(+) and HPO4(2-) at the farm site were 7.7-11.
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