Abstract
Measuring sedimentation rates may provide useful information on the habitat preferences of marine organisms. To understand the effect of flow rates and meteorological conditions on sedimentation in the absence of other confounding factors, sedimentation of organic (OM) and inorganic (IOM) matters was measured at 6 sites in Lough Hyne Marine Reserve (a semienclosed marine lake) over the course of 13 months. During winter, both OM and IOM were imported to the Lough, peaking in December at Whirlpool, the site nearest to the Lough entrance, likely as a result of extreme weather conditions causing resuspension of matter outside the Lough. Highest inorganic matter (IOM) sedimentation occurred in December (47.36 gm−2d−1at Whirlpool Cliff) and was related to November wind speeds (, ). Decreasing current speed also caused a decline in IOM sedimentation. Highest OM sedimentation occurred in December at Whirlpool (5.59 gm−2d−1), but was not related to meteorological conditions. No single environmental factor strongly influenced organic matter (OM) sedimentation. One-way ANOVAs on OM and log-transformed IOM data showed that sedimentation differed significantly amongst the six sites within the Lough. Increased plankton production in the Lough during summer led to increased OM sedimentation in areas of low current speed away from the entrance of the Lough.
Highlights
The settlement of matter out of the water column onto the seafloor is an important process for benthic fauna
This study of sedimentation over the course of one year clearly showed that inorganic matter (IOM) and organic matter (OM) sedimentation are governed by different environmental factors in this highly sheltered, semi-enclosed bay and are not tightly coupled
This was evidenced by IOM sedimentation rates being highest near to the Lough entrance and decreasing to lowest levels in the North Basin
Summary
The settlement of matter out of the water column onto the seafloor is an important process for benthic fauna. Sinking organic matter provides a high-quality food source for marine benthic communities which, except where light can still penetrate and benthic photosynthesis occur, are dependent on surface water production for energy input [1]. The consequences of anoxia in the benthic habitat and the overlying water column are massive die-off events in the benthic community [4]. Areas of low water exchange, such as semi-enclosed bays and fjords, are known to develop temporal or permanent stratification of the water column. This is usually due to reduction of current speed by narrow and shallow inlets. Seasonal or longer term anoxia is a well-studied consequence of stratification and organic enrichment [5]
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