Benthic diffusive fluxes of organic and inorganic carbon, ammonium and phosphates from deep water sediments of the Baltic Sea

Abstract

In this study, Baltic Sea sediments, as a source of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ammonium (NH4+), and phosphates (PO43−), were investigated based on samples obtained in 2017 and 2018, shortly after a sequence of inflows from the North Sea that occurred between 2014 and 2017. Two different data sets (I and II) were used to assess benthic diffusive fluxes and thus elucidate both the temporal conditions at the time of sampling (data set I) and the diffusion potential of the sediments (data set II). The estimated fluxes were characterized by a high spatial variability within the whole Baltic Sea and ranged between −0.01 and 3.33 mmol m−2 d−1 for DIC, −0.02 and 0.44 mmol m−2 d−1 for DOC, −40.5 and 1370.1 µmol m−2 d−1 for NH4+, and −5.9 and 60.9 µmol m−2 d−1 for PO43−. The estimated benthic diffusive fluxes indicated a high potential for DIC, DOC, NH4+, and PO43− release from Baltic Sea sediments. The high O2 concentrations in the water column of the Gulf of Bothnia together with major Baltic inflows (MBIs) bringing oxygenated seawater to the Baltic Proper and to some extent the Eastern Gotland Basin regulate the amounts of chemicals released from the sediment. Our study showed that a sequence of inflows has greater impact on the diminution of diffusive fluxes than does a single MBI and that the sediments of the Baltic Proper, even under the influence of inflows, are an important source of C, N, and P (159 kt yr−1 for DIC+DOC, 6.3 kt yr−1 for N-NH4+ and 3.7 kt yr−1 for P-PO43−) that should be considered in regional budget estimations.