Effects Of Sediment Resuspension Research Articles

The coupled effect of sediment resuspension and microbiota on phosphorus release and transformation in a simulated aquatic ecosystem

Plant microbial involvement in phosphorus (P) release and transformation during resuspension events in bottom aquatic systems remains poorly understood. Laboratory experiments were used in this study to explore the release and transformation of P from sediments and the microbiota involved. Dissolved and labile P were obtained by high-resolution dialysis and the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique, respectively. The bacterial community was investigated using a scanning electron microscope and 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing technique. Finally, the diffusion fluxes dynamics of phosphorus were calculated using the DGT-induced fluxes in sediments and soils (DIFS) model. These results showed that sustained disturbance can balance dissolved P concentrations in the resuspension layer (overlying water) and enhance the stability of P transformation and release processes. Notably, the bacterial community within the deeper sediment layer (Below 10 mm sediment depth) significantly influences P interception. Acidobacteria and Neobacteria were identified as the key bacterial genera responsible for phosphorus adsorption of plant roots at speeds of 150 rad/min (R150). In addition, as the sediment depths increased, a slower decrease in R curves fitted with the DIFS model, which indicated a continuous resupply process from solid phase to pore water, especially below R150. This study provides theoretical references for managing shallow lakes with frequent sediment resuspension.

Effects of sediment resuspension and changes in water nutrient concentrations on the remobilization of lead from contaminated sediments in Klity Creek, Thailand

As Pb-containing sediments in Klity Creek have had negative impacts on the area for more than 20 years, the Supreme Court ordered the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of Thailand to remediate the site. In response to the court order, the PCD decided to reduce the contamination level by dredging the sediments of the creek. Therefore, this study is the first investigation to be conducted on the coupled effects of sediment resuspension caused by dredging and changes in water nutrient concentrations upon the remobilization of Pb from sediments into the water column. The Pb concentrations and speciation in both the water and sediments collected from upstream and downstream regions of the contaminated area were determined. The results showed that the total Pb concentrations in the water taken from all sampling sites in both the dry and wet seasons were lower than the national standard (50 μg/L), and a very low mobility index was found for Pb. The highest total Pb concentration in the sediments (6930 mg/kg) from the downstream site was 23.7- to 30.4-fold greater than those of the sediments collected from the upstream site. The predominant Pb species (organic and residual Pb fractions) in the sediments collected during the dry season were identified. However, carbonate- and Fe–Mn oxide-bound Pb fractions were mainly found in the sediments collected in the wet season. The diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT)-labile Pb concentrations, which reached 2.1 mg/L, indicated potential toxicity to aquatic organisms. A total of nine resuspension scenarios generalizing all changes in water nutrient concentrations in addition to sediment resuspension due to dredging were constructed. The results confirmed that sediment resuspension alone could remobilize Pb from the sediments into the water at levels from 0.06 to 16.9 μg/L. Sediment resuspension in water contaminated with 1 mg/L phosphate (PO43−) led to the dissolution of 28.4–73.0 μg/L Pb in the water column. Nitrate (NO3−) did not significantly remobilize Pb from the sediments into the water. The high ionic strength and activity coefficient of PO43− in the water were expected to cause the retention of dissolved Pb in the water and enhance the remobilization of Pb from the sediments due to the association of Pb with PO43− in the water.

Sediment resuspension enhances nutrient exchange in intertidal mudflats

Intertidal coastal sediments are important centers for nutrient transformation, regeneration, and storage. Sediment resuspension, due to wave action or tidal currents, can induce nutrient release to the water column and fuel primary production. Storms and extreme weather events are expected to increase due to climate change in coastal areas, but little is known about their effect on nutrient release from coastal sediments. We have conducted in-situ sediment resuspension experiments, in which erosion was simulated by a stepwise increase in current velocities, while measuring nutrient uptake or release in field flumes positioned on intertidal areas of a tidal bay (Eastern Scheldt) and an estuary (Western Scheldt). In both systems, the water column concentration of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrite (NO2−) increased predictably with greater erosion as estimated from pore water dilution and erosion depth. In contrast, the phosphate (PO43−) dynamics were different between systems, and those of nitrate (NO3−) were small and variable. Notably, sediment resuspension caused a decrease in the overlying water PO43− concentration in the tidal bay, while an increase was observed in the estuarine sediments. Our observations showed that the concentration of PO43− in the water column was more intensely affected by resuspension than that of NH4+ and NO2−. The present study highlights the differential effect of sediment resuspension on nutrient exchange in two contrasting tidal coastal environments.

The influence of wind-induced sediment resuspension and migration on raw water turbidity in Lake Taihu, China.

Lake Taihu is an important drinking water source for cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, while the dramatic fluctuation in turbidity has caused severe problems for local waterwork management. The effects of sediment resuspension and migration on turbidity of water intake in a waterworks located in the south of Lake Taihu are studied. Because the sediment behavior induced by wind disturbance was believed to be the main factor for the matter, the effect of wind field on the hydrodynamics and sediment distribution of Lake Taihu was conducted based on a wind-driven numerical model. The obtained results indicate that wind direction was more influential on the structure of flow and wave fields, while wind speed contributed more to the field intensity. The suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of water intake area was most sensitive to onshore winds, which led to significant increase in suspended sediment concentration at 3m/s, while for alongshore winds, the incipient speed was 4m/s, and offshore winds were less influential. In addition, the suspended sediment of the water intake area was primarily migrated from other erosion regions rather than local suspended particles. A 7-h lag was found between SSC and the measured turbidity confirmed the lag effect of wind disturbance on turbidity change. The high consistency between the 2 series demonstrated the potential of this method to turbidity prediction when combined with the weather forecast technique.

Responses of the copepod Eurytemora affinis to trace metal exposure: A candidate for sentinel to marine sediment resuspension effects

Our study reports the ability of Eurytemora affinis to indicate certain responses in 96 h when exposed to resuspended sediment from a polluted site (PS, Seine estuary, France), less polluted site (LPS, Canche estuary, France) and dissolved trace metals. Mortality from dissolved trace metal was highest (57.5 %) followed by PS (38.59 %) > LPS (24.04 %). The exposure to PS sediment resulted in significantly lower no. of early larval stage (nauplii < 2), sex-ratio (39.24 % of males) and higher ovigerous female (>10). Eurytemora affinis bioaccumulated high concentrations of copper (27.3 mg/kg), nickel (12.8 mg/kg), lead (21.8 mg/kg) and arsenic (13.7 mg/kg) from PS exposure with significantly lower bioaccumulation of metals from LPS. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) was highest from dissolved toxicity (>2000) followed by PS that showed significantly higher BCF for Nickel and Copper, compared to LPS. The responses of E. affinis to different matrices exemplify its role as a sentinel.

Sediment Resuspension and Associated Extracellular Enzyme Activities Measured ex situ: A Mechanism for Benthic-Pelagic Coupling in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

Sediment resuspension caused by near-bed currents mediates exchange processes between the seafloor and the overlying water column, known as benthic-pelagic coupling. To investigate the effects of sediment resuspension on microbial enzyme activities in bottom waters (&amp;lt;500 m), we conducted onboard erosion experiments using sediment cores taken with a multi-corer from six deep-sea sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We then incubated the core-top water with resuspended sediments in roller tanks to simulate bottom water conditions following sediment resuspension. Bacterial cell abundance, particulate organic matter content, and potential rates of three hydrolytic enzymes (leucine aminopeptidases – PEP; β-glucosidases – GLU, lipases – LIP) were monitored during the experimentally-generated erosion events and subsequently in the roller tanks to examine whether resuspension of deep-sea sediments enhances activities of extracellular enzymes in overlying waters. Surficial sediments were resuspended at critical shear stress velocities between 1.4 and 1.7 cm s–1, which parallel bottom water currents of 28 and 34 cm s–1. Only one of our nine cores resisted experimentally generated bottom shear stresses and remained undisturbed, possibly as a result of oil residues from natural hydrocarbon seeps at the investigated site. The most notable enzymatic responses to sediment resuspension were found for LIP activities that increased in overlying waters of all eight of our resuspended cores and remained at high levels during the roller tank incubations. PEP and GLU showed orders of magnitude lower rates and more variable responses to experimentally resuspended sediments compared with LIP. We also found a disconnect between enzyme activities and bacterial cell numbers, indicating a major role of extracellular enzymes physically disconnected from microbial cells in our experiments. Our results demonstrate that sediment resuspension may promote organic matter breakdown in bottom waters by supplying extracellular enzymes without requiring a bacterial growth response. The marked increase in LIP activity suggests that resuspended enzymes may affect the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, including those from the natural seeps that are abundant in the investigation area.

For an Effective and Sustainable Management of Non-Tydal Lagoon Environments to Counteract the Eutrophication Effects

Coastal lagoon environmental picture with the tendency to accumulate organic detritus, structural eutrophication, risks of dystrophy, with loss of biodiversity and fish products, is briefly described. Mitigation solutions are analyzed, focusing on the removal of macroalgal masses, artificial water renewal, sediment oxidation and more, highlighting the limits and benefits of each solution. With regard to the sediment oxidation, on which more emphasis is placed here, a review of the results obtained on two Tyrrhenian lagoons is made, through field experiences conducted between 2005 and 2021. These results showed an overall mitigation of the eutrophication effects, with reduction of nutrient load and sediment labile organic matter, reduction of macroalgal development, phanerogam return and increase in zoobenthonic biodiversity. Some possible effects of sediment resuspension on contaminants are reported.

Spectral and isotopic characteristics of particulate organic matter in a subtropical estuary under the influences of human disturbance

Abstract Particulate organic matter (POM) in the coastal zone plays an important role in global carbon cycle, yet its spectral properties under human disturbance are not well understood. This study investigated the source and dynamics of POM in a typical coastal area (Minjiang Estuary, China) under the influences of estuarine mixing, urbanization and dam construction, based on spectral and isotopic analysis. The yield of particulate organic carbon from the watershed (0.38 g m−2 yr−1) was in part limited by the historical decrease in sediment discharge downstream hydropower station. The absorption and fluorescence indices of POM suggested an important contribution from biological production with a low humic content. The importance of river and estuarine production was supported by elemental and isotopic analysis, in particular for N-bound constituents of POM. Three humic-like and two protein-like fluorescent components were identified from POM using fluorescence excitation-emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEMs-PARAFAC). They showed weak correlations with salinity, suggesting non-conservative behaviors of fluorescent POM during the estuarine mixing. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified two principal factors, which were related to the level of chromophoric POM (PC1) and biological production (PC2), respectively. The PCA results indicated stronger influence of biological production in the estuarine zone and potential effect of sediment re-suspension and/or wastewater discharge in the urban zone. Overall, our results demonstrated significant influences of human disturbance on the flux, source and dynamics of POM in the coastal zone, which could be assessed by spectral and stable isotopic analysis.

Instantaneous Effects of Sediment Resuspension on Inorganic and Organic Benthic Nutrient Fluxes at a Shallow Water Coastal Site in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea

Climate change is leading to harsher resuspension events in shallow coastal environments influencing benthic nutrient fluxes. However, we lack information on the quantitative connection between these fluxes and the physical forces. Two identical experiments that were carried out both in May and August provided novel knowledge on the instantaneous effects of resuspension with known intensity on the benthic dissolved inorganic (phosphate: DIP, ammonium: NH4+, nitrite+nitrate: NOx, silicate, DSi) and organic nutrient (phosphorus: DOP, nitrogen: DON, carbon: DOC) fluxes in the shallow soft bottoms of the archipelago of Gulf of Finland (GoF), Baltic Sea. Resuspension treatments, as 2 times the critical shear stress, induced effluxes of one to two orders of magnitude higher than the diffusive fluxes from the studied oxic bottoms. The presence of oxygen resulted in newly formed iron oxyhydroxides and the subsequent precipitation/adsorption of the redox-dependent nutrients (DIP, DSi, organic nutrients) affecting their fluxes. Resuspension-induced NH4+ and NOx fluxes were associated with the organic content of sediments showing the highest values at the organic rich sites. NH4+ showed the strongest responses to resuspension treatments in August, but NOx at the time of high oxygen concentrations in near-bottom water in May. Foreseen increases in the frequency and intensity of resuspension events due to climate change will most likely enhance the internal nutrient loading of the studied coastal areas. The fluxes presented here, connected to known current velocities, can be utilized in modeling work and to assess and predict the internal nutrient loading following climate change.

Effects of sediment resuspension on the larval stage of the model sponge Carteriospongia foliascens

Sponges are important components of many marine communities and perform key functional roles. Little is known on the processes that drive larval dispersal and habitat selection in sponges, and in particular under stress scenarios. The increase in sediment in the marine environment is a growing concern for the health of ecosystems, but scarce information exists on the effects of sediment on sponge larvae. This study assessed the effects of suspended and deposited sediment on the larva of Carteriospongia foliascens. A suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of 100 mg L−1 caused homogenisation of the natural pattern of phototactic responses, leading to 100% of photonegative behaviours and a reduction of swim speeds by 27%. After 24 h exposure to suspended sediments, fine particles were found attached to larval cilia, causing abnormal swimming behaviours. Larvae did not have the ability to remove the attached sediment that led to a transformation of the larval body into a cocoon-like morphology and death. Mortality tripled from 3 mg L−1 (9%) to 300 mg L−1 (30%) and the relative SSC EC10 and EC50 values corresponded to 2.6 mg L−1 and 17.6 mg L−1 respectively. Survival, as determined by live swimming larvae, exceeded 50% even in the highest SSC of 300 mg L−1, however settlement success decreased by ~20%. Larvae were able to settle onto substrate having deposited sediment levels (DSLs) up to 3 mg cm−2 (~24%), but recorded a 25 × chance of dislodgement compared to settlers on substrate with DSL of 0.3 mg cm−2. Larvae avoided settling onto substrates with DSLs >10 mg cm−2 and preferentially settled onto alternative vertical substrate that were free of sediment. While C. foliascens larvae have some ability to survive and settle through conditions of elevated sediment, detrimental effects are also clear.

Investigation on the effects of sediment resuspension on the binding of colloidal organic matter to copper using fluorescence techniques

Colloidal organic matter (COM), an important component of dissolved organic matter (DOM), plays a significant role in the transport and cycling process of the heavy metals. In this study, COM was fractionated from DOM using 0.2 μm, 100 kDa, and 2 kDa ultrafiltration membranes and the fluorescence spectra of the COM fractions were obtained. Excitation and emission matrix–parallel factor analysis and two-dimensional fluorescence correlation spectroscopy were applied to investigate the effect of sediment resuspension on the heavy metal binding characteristics of COM fractions with different molecular weights. Compared with the DOM fractions, COM exhibited stronger binding affinities and more binding sites for Cu(II), which was attributed to the significant binding effects of the components of COM. Our results suggested that the protein-like components were mainly responsible for binding heavy metals in the high-molecular-weight fraction (>100 kDa), whereas the humic-like components were responsible in the low-molecular-weight fraction (<100 kDa). Furthermore, sediment resuspension significantly influenced the composition and heavy metal binding characteristics of COM. Following resuspension, the binding affinity of COM decreased significantly, which might be attributed to the binding competition from inorganic colloids. Thus, COM plays an important role in the binding and transportation behavior of heavy metals, which is an important consideration in shallow lake ecosystems.

Effects of resuspension on the mobility and chemical speciation of zinc in contaminated sediments.

Identifying and quantifying the processes governing the mobilization of metals during resuspension events is key to assessing long-term metals efflux from sediments and associated ecological impacts. We investigated the effects of sediment resuspension on the mobilization and chemical speciation of zinc in two-week-long batch experiments using metal-contaminated sediments from Lake DePue (IL, USA). Measurements of dissolved zinc and sulfate allowed us to characterize the kinetics of metal sulfide dissolution and the resulting net release of zinc to the aqueous phase. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provided direct insights into the chemical speciation of iron and zinc and their dynamic transformations during resuspension. While ZnS rapidly oxidized during resuspension, dissolved zinc increased only after two days of resuspension. We proposed a kinetic model to explain changes in the chemical speciation of zinc during these experiments as constrained by the dissolved species concentrations and chemical speciation as informed by XAS. Only 15% of the zinc mobilized was released to the aqueous phase while the remaining fraction repartitioned the solid phase either as a carbonate precipitate or as a sorbed species. Our results show that zinc sorption onto particle surfaces and reprecipitation of zinc minerals limit zinc solubility during resuspension of metal-sulfide sediments.

Benthic fluxes of oxygen and inorganic nutrients in the archipelago of Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea – Effects of sediment resuspension measured in situ

Benthic fluxes of oxygen and dissolved inorganic nutrients; phosphate (DIP), ammonium (NH4), nitrate + nitrite (NOx), and silicate (DSi); and the effects of resuspension on these were studied in situ with the Göteborg benthic landers in the Gulf of Finland archipelago, Baltic Sea. The benthic fluxes were examined at two shallow stations at depths of 7 m and 20 m in May and August 2014. Resuspension altered benthic fluxes of oxygen and nutrients in most of the experiments in August, but not in May, which was mainly due to weaker resuspension treatments in spring. Additionally, the benthic nutrient regeneration rates were higher and redox conditions lower in August when the water was warmer. In August, resuspension increased the benthic oxygen uptake by 33–35%, which was, in addition to stronger resuspension treatment, attributed to higher amounts of dissolved reduced substances in the sediment pore water in comparison to conditions in May. Adsorption onto newly formed iron oxyhydroxides could explain the uptake of DIP by the sediment at the 20 m station and the lowering of the DSi efflux by 31% at the 7 m station during resuspension in August. In addition, resuspension promoted nitrification, as indicated by increased NOx fluxes at both stations (by 30% and 27% at the 7 m and 20 m station, respectively) and a lowered NH4 flux (by 48%) at the 7 m station. Predicted increases in the magnitude and frequency of resuspension will thus markedly affect the transport of phosphorus and silicon and the cycling of nitrogen in the shallow areas of the Gulf of Finland.

Effects of sediment resuspension on the oxidation of acid‐volatile sulfides and release of metals (iron, manganese, zinc) in Pescadero estuary (CA, USA)

Bar-built estuaries are unique ecosystems characterized by the presence of a sandbar barrier, which separates the estuary from the ocean for extended periods and can naturally reopen to the ocean with heavy rainfall and freshwater inflows. The physical effects associated with the transition from closed to open state, specifically water mixing and sediment resuspension, often indirectly worsen water quality conditions and are suspected to drive near-annual fish kills at the Pescadero estuary in northern California. The effects of sediment acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) oxidation, specifically oxygen depletion, acidification, and metal release, are believed to aggravate water conditions for fish but remain poorly understood. We performed slurry incubations containing sediment from 4 sites in the Pescadero estuary, representing a gradient from the Pacific Ocean to freshwater tributaries. We measured near-maximum rates of aqueous hydrogen sulfide oxidation, sediment AVS oxidation, sulfate production, and acidification, as well as near-maximum release rates of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) to the water column. We estimated AVS oxidation rates of 8 to 21 mmol S kg-1 d-1 , which were 3 orders of magnitude higher than aqueous hydrogen sulfide oxidation rates, 6 to 26 μmol S kg-1 d-1 . We suggest that aqueous hydrogen sulfide cannot be responsible for the observed kills because of low concentrations and minimal oxidative effects on pH and metal concentrations. However, the oxidative effects of AVS are potentially severe, decreasing pH to strongly acidic levels and releasing aqueous Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations up to 11.2 mM, 0.46 mM, and 88 μM, respectively, indicating a potential role in worsening water conditions for fish in the Pescadero estuary. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:993-1006. © 2017 SETAC.

Remobilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organic matter in seawater during sediment resuspension experiments from a polluted coastal environment: Insights from Toulon Bay (France)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organic matter contents were measured in seawater during resuspension experiments using sediments collected from Toulon Bay (Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, France). The studied sediments were very highly contaminated in PAHs, especially in 4-ring compounds emitted from combustion processes. The sediments used for resuspension experiments were collected at 0–2 cm (diagenetically new organic matter, OM) and 30–32 cm depths (diagenetically transformed OM). They were both mostly composed of fine particles (<63 μm), enriched in organic carbon (8.2 and 6.3%, respectively) and in PAHs (concentration of Σ34 PAHs: 38.2 and 35.7 × 103 ng g−1, respectively). The resuspension of these sediments led to an increase in concentrations of dissolved Σ34 PAHs, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved humic- and tryptophan-like fluorophores in seawater up to 10-, 1.3-, 4.4- and 5.7-fold, respectively. The remobilization in seawater was higher for 4–6 ring PAHs, especially benzo(g,h,i)perylene, whose concentration exceeded the threshold values of the European Water Framework Directive. This noted the potential harmful effects of sediment resuspension on marine biota. From these sediment resuspension experiments, we determined OC-normalized partition coefficients of PAHs between sediment and water (Koc) and found that during such events, the transfer of PAHs from sediment particles to seawater was lower than that predicted from octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) (i.e., measured Koc > Koc predicted from Kow). The results confirmed the sequestration role of sedimentary OC quality and grain size on PAHs; the OM diagenetic state seemed to impact the partition process but in a relatively minor way. Furthermore, differences were observed between 2-4 ring and 5–6 ring PAHs, with the latter displaying a relatively higher mobility towards seawater. These differences may be explained by the distribution of these two PAH pools within different OM moieties, such as humic substances and black carbon.

Contribution of different bacterial dispersal sources to lakes: Population and community effects in different seasons.

The diversity and composition of lake bacterial communities are driven by the interplay between local contemporary environmental conditions and dispersal of cells from the surroundings, i.e. the metacommunity. Still, a conceptual understanding of the relative importance of the two types of factors is lacking. For instance, it is unknown which sources of dispersal are most important and under which circumstances. Here, we investigated the seasonal variation in the importance of dispersal from different sources (mixing, precipitation, surface runoff and sediment resuspension) for lake bacterioplankton community and population dynamics. For that purpose, two small forest lakes and their dispersal sources were sampled over a period of 10 months. The influence of dispersal on communities and populations was determined by 454 sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and SourceTracker analysis. On the community level direct effects of dispersal were questionable from all sources. Instead we found that the community of the preceding sampling occasion, representing growth of resident bacteria, was of great importance. On the population level, however, dispersal of individual taxa from the inlet could be occasionally important even under low water flow. The effect of sediment resuspension and precipitation appeared small.

Sediment resuspension effects on dissolved organic carbon fluxes and microbial metabolic potentials in reservoirs

Sediment resuspension can affect water quality in lakes and reservoirs. We investigated the effect of sediment resuspension on benthic fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), metals (Fe, Mn), and nutrients (N, P) in three drinking water reservoirs using sediment core incubations. Measurement of Fe and Mn fluxes, and of microbial potentials to degrade organic substrates (Biolog EcoPlates™) were employed to understand mechanisms regulating DOC exchange after sediment resuspension. Single sediment resuspension events resulted in DOC fluxes [−104 (into sediment) to 46 (release) mmol m−2 event−1] equal to 9–17 days of diffusive fluxes, making them a relevant process. Shallow reservoir sites were more likely to immobilize DOC after resuspension than deep sites. Sediment resuspension under anoxia always led to increases of DOC and metals in the overlying water. Resuspension did not necessarily mobilize nitrate or phosphorus even under anoxia, while ammonium was released after resuspension. Sediment resuspension increased hypolimnetic microbial potentials to utilize organic substrates in both spring and summer. However microbial cells counts and biomass either remained constant or decreased in summer. Adsorption to Fe minerals seemed to play a role in DOC immobilization as evidenced by a decrease in DOC:Fe molar ratios after resuspension in Fe limited sites and constant ratios in Fe rich sites. The results demonstrate a potential for DOC immobilization mainly by Fe minerals and to some extent by benthic microbes. Therefore, sediment resuspension can be beneficial for water quality in low nutrient, iron rich systems.

Dynamics of bacterial abundance and the related environmental factors in large shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu

ABSTRACTIn aquatic ecosystems, estimation of bacterial abundance (BA) is intimately connected to the development of an understanding of the role of bacteria in microbial food webs. Flow cytometry (FC) can rapidly calculate BA, but to date mostly has been applied in marine waters with limited use in shallow eutrophic lakes because of the abundant organic and inorganic matter. To seek the best compromise between precision and the clarity for the differentiation of bacteria from other submicron-sized particles and colloids in eutrophic lakes, we optimized FC instrument settings, fixatives and storage conditions, ultrasonic pre-treatment and staining protocols. Then, BA in Lake Taihu was investigated by the optimized FC procedures. Regression analysis showed good correspondence (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.001, n = 128) of BA counted by FC and epifluorescence microscopy. The developed protocol was successfully applied to monitor the dynamics of BA in the large shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu. A distinct spatio-temporal shift of BA in Lake Taihu was observed. The shift was found to be mainly related to dissolved organic carbon, total suspended solids, water temperature and chlorophyll-a. Our results highlight the effect of sediment re-suspension and algal biomass on BA in eutrophic shallow lakes.

Using rare earth elements to constrain particulate organic carbon flux in the East China Sea.

Fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the East China Sea (ECS) have been reported to decrease from the inner continental shelf towards the outer continental shelf. Recent research has shown that POC fluxes in the ECS may be overestimated due to active sediment resuspension. To better characterize the effect of sediment resuspension on particle fluxes in the ECS, rare earth elements (REEs) and organic carbon (OC) were used in separate two-member mixing models to evaluate trap-collected POC fluxes. The ratio of resuspended particles from sediments to total trap-collected particles in the ECS ranged from 82–94% using the OC mixing model, and 30–80% using the REEs mixing model, respectively. These results suggest that REEs may be better proxies for sediment resuspension than OC in high turbidity marginal seas because REEs do not appear to undergo degradation during particle sinking as compared to organic carbon. Our results suggest that REEs can be used as tracers to provide quantitative estimates of POC fluxes in marginal seas.

Neutral processes and species sorting in benthic microalgal community assembly: effects of tidal resuspension

Benthic microalgae (BMA) provide vital food resources for heterotrophs and stabilize sediments with their extracellular secretions. A central goal in ecology is to understand how processes such as species interactions and dispersal, contribute to observed patterns of species abundance and distribution. Our objectives were to assess the effects of sediment resuspension on microalgal community structure. We tested whether taxa-abundance distributions could be predicted using neutral community models (NCMs) and also specific hypotheses about passive migration: (i) As migration decreases in sediment patches, BMA α-diversity will decrease, and (ii) As migration decreases, BMA community dissimilarity (β-diversity) will increase. Co-occurrence indices (checkerboard score and variance ratio) were also computed to test for deterministic factors, such as competition and niche differentiation, in shaping communities. Two intertidal sites (mudflat and sand bar) differing in resuspension regime were sampled throughout the tidal cycle. Fluorometry and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were utilized to investigate diatom community structure. Observed taxa-abundances fit those predicted from NCMs reasonably well (R2 of 0.68-0.93), although comparisons of observed local communities to artificial randomly assembled communities rejected the null hypothesis that diatom communities were assembled solely by stochastic processes. No co-occurrence tests indicated a significant role for competitive exclusion or niche partitioning in microalgal community assembly. In general, predictions about relationships between migration and species diversity were supported for local community dynamics. BMA at low tide (lowest migration) exhibited reduced α-diversity as compared to periods of immersion at both mudflat and sand bar sites. β-diversity was higher during low tide emersion on the mudflat, but did not differ temporally at the sand bar site. In between-site metacommunity comparisons, low- and high-resuspension sites exhibited distinct community compositions while the low-energy mudflats contained higher microalgal biomass and greater α-diversity. To our knowledge this is the first study to test the relevance of neutral processes in structuring marine microalgal communities. Our results demonstrate a prominent role for stochastic factors in structuring local BMA community assembly, although unidentified nonrandom processes also appear to play some role. High passive migration, in particular, appears to help maintain species diversity and structure communities in both sand and muddy habitats.