Abstract
Sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) rates provide important information about biogeochemical processes in marine sediments and the activity of benthic microorganisms and fauna. Therefore, several databases of SCOC data have been compiled since the mid-1990s. However, these earlier databases contained much less data records and were not freely available. Additionally, the databases were not transparent in their selection procedure, so that other researchers could not assess the quality of the data. Here, we present the largest, best documented, and freely available database of SCOC data compiled to date. The database is comprised of 3,540 georeferenced SCOC records from 230 studies that were selected following the procedure for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Each data record states whether the oxygen consumption was measured ex situ or in situ, as total oxygen uptake, diffusive or advective oxygen uptake, and which measurement device was used. The database will be curated and updated annually to secure and maintain an up-to-date global database of SCOC data.
Highlights
Background & SummaryMarine sediments play a key role in the global carbon cycle[1]
Part of the organic matter is buried on geological time scales, but the largest share is remineralized by abundant prokaryotes, protozoans, and metazoans that are predominantly active in the top 10 to 50 cm of the sediment
Sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) is a generally accepted proxy for total organic matter degradation in the marine sediments as it integrates degradation through aerobic activity, autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification, and re-oxidation of reduced inorganic compounds that were generated during anaerobic heterotrophic degradation of organic matter[2–4]
Summary
Marine sediments play a key role in the global carbon cycle[1]. Organic matter either deposits on sediments as detritus or marine snow, or is produced by phototrophic and chemo-autotrophic organisms. Sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) is a generally accepted proxy for total organic matter degradation in the marine sediments as it integrates degradation through aerobic activity, autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification, and re-oxidation of reduced inorganic compounds that were generated during anaerobic heterotrophic degradation of organic matter[2–4]. The general validity of SCOC has initiated the development of global SCOC databases since the mid-1990s7–9 consisting respectively of 1368 and 4907 SCOC measurements taken from 4 m (near-shore areas) to 5,200 m (abyssal plains) water depth and cover the Atlantic Ocean including the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Alphabetical reference list of studies about sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) that were identified following the PRISMA Statement. It is further specified which studies were excluded during the screening process and eligibility assessment.
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