On the Possible Presence of Oxygen in the Upper Sediment Layer of the Hydrogen Sulfide Zone in the Black Sea

Abstract

In the northeastern Black Sea the search was performed for living eukaryotic organisms (micro- and meiobenthos) in hypoxic and anoxic conditions as well as measurement of O2 in the bottom water layer and in the upper layer of sediments. The results have shown the presence of a deep maximum abundance of zoobenthos in a depth range of 215–244 m. This aggregation of benthic fauna occupies a layer of 30 m along the vertical. In general, the proportion of active meiobenthos was no greater than 1.5% of the total number of organisms recorded from the sample.The presence of aerobic benthos near the upper boundary of the H2S zone can be explained by: sliding down of sediments from a higher depth; quasi-periodic O2 supply due to fluctuations in the position of the isopycna and/or sinking of waters downslope in the bottom Ekman layer. Also, in the case of physical entry of oxygen into the bottom layer, it can remain for a relatively long time in the upper part of the H2S zone due to the lack of deep Mn+2 flux and reaction with it.