Processes at the sediment‐water interface, advances during 1982–1986

Abstract

1982 to mid 1986 saw important advances in our understanding of processes ocurring at the sediment‐water interface. Notable were significant gains in our knowledge of the influence of bioturbation on zonation and rates of microbially‐mediated reactions, quantification of mixing processes near the interface using radiochronometric tracers, process‐oriented studies of trace metal behavior in oxic, suboxic and anoxic environments, and detailed investigations of microscale geochemical distributions and processes at the deep‐sea MANOP sites. The overriding importance of organic matter input and decomposition in driving many of these processes was noted by many investigators.