Diurnal changes in pore water sulfide concentrations in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum beds: the effects of seagrasses on sulfide dynamics.

Abstract

The dynamics of the seagrass-sulfide interaction were examined in relation to diel changes in sediment pore water sulfide concentrations in Thalassia testudinum beds and adjacent bare areas in Corpus Christi Bay and lower Laguna Madre, Texas, USA, during July 1996. Pore water sulfide concentrations in seagrass beds were significantly higher than in adjacent bare areas and showed strong diurnal variations; levels significantly decreased during mid-day at shallow sediment depths (0-10 cm) containing high below-ground tissue biomass and surface area. In contrast, diurnal variations in sediment sulfide concentrations were absent in adjacent bare patches, and at deeper (>10 cm) sediment depths characterized by low below-ground plant biomass or when the grasses were experimentally shaded. These observations suggest that the mid-day depressions in sulfide levels are linked to the transport of photosynthetically produced oxygen to seagrass below-ground tissues that fuels sediment sulfide oxidation. Lower sulfide concentrations in bare areas are likely a result of low sulfate reduction rates due to low organic matter available for remineralization. Further, high reoxidation rates due to rapid exchange between anoxic pore water and oxic overlying water are probably stimulated in bare areas by higher current velocity on the sediment surface than in seagrass beds. The dynamics of pore water sulfides in seagrass beds suggest no toxic sulfide intrusion into below-ground tissues during photosynthetic periods and demonstrate that the sediment chemical environment is considerably modified by seagrasses. The reduced sediment sulfide levels in seagrass beds during photosynthetic periods will enhance seagrass production through reduced sulfide toxicity to seagrasses and sediment microorganisms related to the nutrient cycling.