Short-term fate of phytodetritus in sediments across the arabian sea oxygen minimum zone

The short-term fate of phytodetritus was investigated across the Pakistan margin of the Arabian Sea at water depths ranging from 140 to 1850 m, encompassing the oxygen minimum zone (~100–1100 m). Phytodetritus sedimentation events were simulated by adding ~44 mmol 13C-labelled algal material per m2 to surface sediments in retrieved cores. Cores were incubated in the dark, at in situ temperature and oxygen concentrations. Overlying waters were sampled periodically, and cores were recovered and sampled (for organisms and sediments) after durations of two and five days. The labelled carbon was subsequently traced into bacterial lipids, foraminiferan and macrofaunal biomass, and dissolved organic and inorganic pools. The majority of the label (20 to 100%) was in most cases left unprocessed in the sediment at the surface. The largest pool of processed carbon was found to be respiration (0 to 25% of added carbon), recovered as dissolved inorganic carbon. Both temperature and oxygen were found to influence the rate of respiration. Macrofaunal influence was most pronounced at the lower part of the oxygen minimum zone where it contributed 11% to the processing of phytodetritus

Benthic Carbon fixation and cycling in diffuse hydrothermal and background sediments in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

Sedimented hydrothermal vents are likely to be widespread compared to hard substrate hot vents. They host chemosynthetic microbial communities which fix inorganic carbon (C) at the seafloor, as well as a wide range of macroinfauna, including vent-obligate and background non-vent taxa. There are no previous direct observations of carbon cycling at a sedimented hydrothermal vent. We conducted 13C isotope tracing experiments at three sedimented sites in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica, which showed different degrees of hydrothermalism. Two experimental treatments were applied, with 13C added as either algal detritus (photosynthetic C), or as bicarbonate (substrate for benthic C fixation). Algal 13C was taken up by both bacteria and metazoan macrofaunal, but its dominant fate was respiration, as observed at deeper and more food-limited sites elsewhere. Rates of 13C uptake and respiration suggested that the diffuse hydrothermal site was not the hot spot of benthic C cycling that we hypothesised it would be. Fixation of inorganic C into bacterial biomass was observed at all sites, and was measurable at two out of three sites. At all sites, newly fixed C was transferred to metazoan macrofauna. Fixation rates were relatively low compared with similar experiments elsewhere; thus, C fixed at the seafloor was a minor C source for the benthic ecosystem. However, as the greatest amount of benthic C fixation occurred at the “Off Vent” (non-hydrothermal) site (0.077±0.034 mg C m−2 fixed during 60 h), we suggest that benthic fixation of inorganic C is more widespread than previously thought, and warrants further study

Where is the coast? Monitoring coastal land dynamics in Bangladesh: An integrated management approach using GIS and remote sensing techniques

This paper draws upon the application of GIS and remote sensing techniques to investigate the dynamic nature and management aspects of land in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. The geomorphological characteristic of the coastal areas is highly dynamic where land erosion and accretion with different rates remain a constant phenomenon. This study focuses on three coastal zones: western, central and eastern that comprise the entire coastal area of the country. At its core, this study uses the past 30 year Landsat satellite images. This research reveals that the rate of accretion in the study area is slightly higher than the rate of erosion. Overall land dynamics indicate a net gain of 237 km2 (7.9 km2 annual average) of land in the area for the whole period from 1985 to 2015. The results also demonstrate that the rates of both erosion and accretion are higher in the central zone compared to the western and the eastern zones of the coastal area. This is the first time that the entire coastal areas of Bangladesh have been considered for assessment. This study also recommends that coastal managers, planners and policymakers to consider the identified dynamic trends of coastal land before opting for any specific measure. Constant monitoring using the GIS and remote sensing techniques would be a viable management for this purpose. This study has identified some causes of land dynamics, particularly for the three coastal zones, that might be helpful for policymakers in identifying the nature of interventions needs to be taken for specific coastal zones

Geomorphic effects of natural flood management woody dams in upland streams

One popular Natural Flood Management (NFM) technique involves the construction of channel-spanning woody dams in low-order streams that maintain a clearance height above base flows. While extensive research has examined the geomorphic effects of natural wood accumulations, little has been documented of NFM woody dams, which are structurally distinct from natural accumulations and may produce different patterns of erosion and deposition. This consideration is crucial because changes in physical habitat characteristics have implications for flood management objectives as well as ecosystem structure and functioning. This study adopted a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design to assess the geomorphic effects of NFM woody dams in the upper River Cover catchment, United Kingdom. One baseline survey prior to and three monitoring surveys up to 2 years following dam construction were conducted. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry was employed to capture topographic change, supplemented by bathymetric surveys. Results highlight that where the dams remained secure in place, they promoted in-stream habitat diversity by creating underflow pools. Sediment storage was observed only where the dams had clearance heights <0.3 m from the stream bed. Additionally, the dams commonly led to bank erosion, likely enhanced by inherent bank instability in the study catchment as observed along the control reaches. However, volumes of sediments eroded and deposited were not statistically different between the control and woody dam reaches. Longer monitoring is required to determine whether these effects on channel morphology and habitat diversity will persist, amplify, or diminish over time, and to better understand the longevity of NFM woody dams

Hydrothermal activity lowers trophic diversity in Antarctic hydrothermal sediments

Hydrothermal sediments are those in which hydrothermal fluid is discharged through sediments and are one of the least studied deep-sea ecosystems. We present a combination of microbial and biochemical data to assess trophodynamics between and within hydrothermal and background areas of the Bransfield Strait (1050–1647 m of depth). Microbial composition, biomass, and fatty acid signatures varied widely between and within hydrothermally active and background sites, providing evidence of diverse metabolic activity. Several species had different feeding strategies and trophic positions between hydrothermally active and inactive areas, and the stable isotope values of consumers were not consistent with feeding morphology. Niche area and the diversity of microbial fatty acids was lowest at the most hydrothermally active site, reflecting trends in species diversity. Faunal uptake of chemosynthetically produced organics was relatively limited but was detected at both hydrothermal and non-hydrothermal sites, potentially suggesting that hydrothermal activity can affect trophodynamics over a much wider area than previously thought

Long-term organic carbon preservation enhanced by iron and manganese.

The balance between degradation and preservation of sedimentary organic carbon (OC) is important for global carbon and oxygen cycles1. The relative importance of different mechanisms and environmental conditions contributing to marine sedimentary OC preservation, however, remains unclear2-8. Simple organic molecules can be geopolymerized into recalcitrant forms by means of the Maillard reaction5, although reaction kinetics at marine sedimentary temperatures are thought to be slow9,10. More recent work in terrestrial systems suggests that the reaction can be catalysed by manganese minerals11-13, but the potential for the promotion of geopolymerized OC formation at marine sedimentary temperatures is uncertain. Here we present incubation experiments and find that iron and manganese ions and minerals abiotically catalyse the Maillard reaction by up to two orders of magnitude at temperatures relevant to continental margins where most preservation occurs4. Furthermore, the chemical signature of the reaction products closely resembles dissolved and total OC found in continental margin sediments globally. With the aid of a pore-water model14, we estimate that iron- and manganese-catalysed transformation of simple organic molecules into complex macromolecules might generate on the order of approximately 4.1 Tg C yr-1 for preservation in marine sediments. In the context of perhaps only about 63 Tg C yr-1 variation in sedimentary organic preservation over the past 300 million years6, we propose that variable iron and manganese inputs to the ocean could exert a substantial but hitherto unexplored impact on global OC preservation over geological time

Carboxyl-richness controls organic carbon preservation during coprecipitation with iron (oxyhydr)oxides in the natural environment

The coprecipitation of organic carbon with iron minerals is important for its preservation in soils and sediments, but the mechanisms for carbon-iron interactions and thus the controls on organic carbon cycling are far from understood. Here we coprecipitate carboxylic acids with iron (oxyhydr)oxide ferrihydrite and use near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and wet chemical treatments to determine the relationship between sequestration mechanism and organic carbon stability against its release and chemical oxidative remineralisation. We show that organic carbon sequestration, stabilisation and persistence increase with an increasing number of carboxyl functional groups. We suggest that carboxyl-richness provides an important control on organic carbon preservation in the natural environment. Our work offers a mechanistic basis for understanding the stability and persistence of organic carbon in soils and sediments, which might be used to develop an overarching relationship between organic functional group-richness, mineral interactions and organic carbon preservation in the Earth system

The long-term fate of permafrost peatlands under rapid climate warming

Permafrost peatlands contain globally important amounts of soil organic carbon, owing to cold conditions which suppress anaerobic decomposition. However, climate warming and permafrost thaw threaten the stability of this carbon store. The ultimate fate of permafrost peatlands and their carbon stores is unclear because of complex feedbacks between peat accumulation, hydrology and vegetation. Field monitoring campaigns only span the last few decades and therefore provide an incomplete picture of permafrost peatland response to recent rapid warming. Here we use a high-resolution palaeoecological approach to understand the longer-term response of peatlands in contrasting states of permafrost degradation to recent rapid warming. At all sites we identify a drying trend until the late-twentieth century; however, two sites subsequently experienced a rapid shift to wetter conditions as permafrost thawed in response to climatic warming, culminating in collapse of the peat domes. Commonalities between study sites lead us to propose a five-phase model for permafrost peatland response to climatic warming. This model suggests a shared ecohydrological trajectory towards a common end point: inundated Arctic fen. Although carbon accumulation is rapid in such sites, saturated soil conditions are likely to cause elevated methane emissions that have implications for climate-feedback mechanisms

Comparative organic geochemistry of Indian margin (Arabian Sea) sediments:estuary to continental slope

Surface sediments from sites across the Indian margin of the Arabian Sea were analysed for their elemental and stable isotopic organic carbon (C_org) and total nitrogen compositions, grain size distributions and biochemical indices of organic matter (OM) source and/or degradation state. Site locations ranged from the estuaries of the Mandovi and Zuari rivers to depths of ~ 2000 m on the continental slope, thus spanning nearshore muds and sands on the shelf and both the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) on the upper slope (~ 200–1300 m) and the seasonal hypoxic zone that appears on the shelf. Source indices showed mixed marine and terrigenous OM within the estuaries, but consistent predominance (80–100%) of marine OM on the shelf and slope. Thus, riverine terrigenous OM is diluted or replaced by autochthonous marine OM and/or is efficiently re-mineralised, within or immediately offshore of the estuaries. Organic C contents of surface shelf sediments varied from < 0.5 wt% in relict shelf sands to up to ~ 4 wt% for nearshore muds, while upper slope sites within the OMZ showed a wide range (~ 2 to 7 + wt%), progressively decreasing below the OMZ to &le; 1 wt% at 2000 m. Thus, major variability (~ 5 wt%) was found at slope sites within the OMZ of similar depth and near-identical bottom-water O₂ concentrations. A strong relationship between %C_org and sediment grain size was seen for sediments within the OMZ, but lower relative C_org contents were found for sites on the shelf and below the OMZ. Further, C_org loadings, when related to estimated sediment surface area, indicated distinct enrichment of C_org in the OMZ sediments relative to sites above and below the OMZ and to sediments from normoxic margins. Diagenetic indices confirmed that lower C_org content below the OMZ is associated with more extensive OM degradation, but that shelf sediment OM is not consistently more degraded than that found within the OMZ. Together, the results indicate that OM distribution across the margin is controlled by interplay between hydrodynamic processes and varying preservation associated with O₂ availability. This inference is supported by multiple regression analysis. Hydrodynamic processes (expressed as %Silt) followed by O₂ availability, can explain the large majority of %C_org variability when the shelf and slope are considered as a whole. However, while O₂ becomes the primary influence on %C_org for sediments below the OMZ, %Silt is the primary influence across the OMZ and, apparently, the shelf. Thus, reduced O₂ exposure is responsible for OM enrichment within the OMZ, but hydrodynamic processes are the overriding control on sediment OM distributions across both the shelf and the OMZ

Uptake of algal carbon and the likely synthesis of an "essential" fatty acid by Uvigerina ex. gr. semiornata (Foraminifera) within the Pakistan margin oxygen minimum zone:evidence from fatty acid biomarker and C-13 tracer experiments

Foraminifera are an important component of benthic communities in oxygen-depleted settings, where they potentially play a significant role in the processing of organic matter. We tracked the uptake of a 13C-labelled algal food source into individual fatty acids in the benthic foraminiferal species Uvigerina ex. gr. semiornata from the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The tracer experiments were conducted on the Pakistan margin during the late/post monsoon period (August–October 2003). A monoculture of the diatom Thalassiosira weisflogii was 13C-labelled and used to simulate a pulse of phytoplankton in two complementary experiments. A lander system was used for in situ incubations at 140 m water depth and for 2.5 days in duration. Shipboard laboratory incubations of cores collected at 140 m incorporated an oxystat system to maintain ambient dissolved oxygen concentrations and were terminated after 5 days. Uptake of diatoms was rapid, with a high incorporation of diatom fatty acids into foraminifera after ~ 2 days in both experiments. Ingestion of the diatom food source was indicated by the increase over time in the quantity of diatom biomarker fatty acids in the foraminifera and by the high percentage of 13C in many of the fatty acids present at the endpoint of both in situ and laboratory-based experiments. These results indicate that . ex. gr. semiornata rapidly ingested the diatom food source and that these foraminifera will play an important role in the short-term cycling of organic matter within this OMZ environment. The presence of 18:1(n-7) in the experimental foraminifera suggested that U. ex. gr. semiornata also consumed non-labelled bacterial food items. In addition, levels of 20:4(n-6), a PUFA only present in low amounts in the diatom food, increased dramatically in the foraminifera during both the in situ and shipboard experiments, possibly because it was synthesised de novo. This "essential fatty acid" is often abundant in benthic fauna, yet its origins and function have remained unclear. If U. ex. gr. semiornata is capable of de novo synthesis of 20:4(n-6), then it represents a potentially major source of this dietary nutrient in benthic food webs