Eelgrass meadows, Zostera marina (L.), facilitate the ecosystem service of nitrogen removal during simulated nutrient pulses in Shinnecock Bay, New York, USA

Details

• Journal Title:
  Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Personal Author:
  Zarnoch, Chester B. ; Hoellein, Timothy J. ; Furman, Bradley T. ; Peterson, Bradley J.
• NOAA Program & Office:
  OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research)
• Description:
  Seagrass meadows are important sites of nitrogen (N) transformations in estuaries, however, the role of N loading in driving relative rates of N fixation and denitrification in seagrass habitats is unclear. The current study quantified N fluxes in eelgrass meadows (Zostera marina (L.)) and nearby unvegetated sand in trials representing in situ and N enriched conditions. Net N2 fluxes were low or negative under in situ conditions in both eelgrass and sand. Under N enriched conditions, denitrification was higher than N-fixation, and denitrification in eelgrass was significantly higher than sand. Denitrification of water column NO3− was more significant than coupled nitrification-denitrification in the eelgrass. Denitrification was likely supported by greater organic carbon and N within the eelgrass sediment compared to sand. Eelgrass meadows in Shinnecock Bay may facilitate the ecosystem service of N removal and retention during short-term nutrient pulses that can originate from groundwater discharge and stormwater runoff.
• Keywords:
  Aquatic Science Oceanography Pollution
• Source:
  Marine Pollution Bulletin, 124(1), 376-387
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.061
• ISSN:
  0025-326X
• Format:
  PDF
• Publisher:
  Elsevier BV
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  Grant no. NA10OAR4170064
• Rights Information:
  Accepted Manuscript
• Compliance:
  Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:fa2604c8a9a40f74e9fd26d7a83f348093cd2eb1c8244fe11f4c638f180cf799
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/57890/noaa_57890_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 700.66 KB ]