Seasonal cycles of primary production and freshwater run-off contribute to elevated particulate matter fluxes of marine and terrestrial origin in fjords. In Norwegian fjords, aquaculture operations and jellyfish carcasses may further enhance these particulate matter fluxes. In this study, sediment traps were deployed in four Norwegian fjords (Lurefjorden, Masfjorden, Hardangerfjorden and Kaldfjorden) to quantify seasonal variations in downward particle fluxes and to investigate the contribution of aquaculture operations to these fluxes. Sediment traps were deployed in Lurefjorden, a fjord heavily populated by the deep-sea coronate medusae Periphylla periphylla, in Masfjorden, a nearby fjord without mass occurrence of P. periphylla, in Hardangerfjorden, a fjord with high density of salmon farms, and in Kaldfjorden, a northern fjord also hosting aquaculture activities. Measurements of total particulate matter (TPM), particulate organic carbon (POC), chlorophyll a (chl a), and diatom fluxes indicated the export of a diatom bloom starting in March or April and a large input of land-derived inorganic matter during rain and snowmelt events in all fjords sampled. The highest annual POC flux was recorded in the nearly landlocked Lurefjorden. In Hardangerfjorden, export fluxes suggested a local impact of aquaculture operations but freshwater run-off and water exchange had a larger influence on export fluxes than the release of aquaculture waste. In Kaldfjorden, nearly absent TPM, POC, chl a, and diatom fluxes in late spring-early summer suggested that strong stratification prevented the export of particulate matter to depth. Overall, sediment trap-derived fluxes reflected the spatial and temporal variations in the sources of particulate matter in Norwegian fjords.

初级生产和淡水径流的季节性周期导致峡湾中海洋和陆地来源的颗粒物通量升高。在挪威峡湾，水产养殖业和水母尸体可能会进一步增加这些颗粒物通量。在这项研究中，沉积物捕集阱被部署在四个挪威峡湾（Lurefjorden，Masfjorden，Hardangerfjorden和Kaldfjorden）中，以量化向下颗粒通量的季节性变化并研究水产养殖活动对这些通量的贡献。沉积物诱捕器被部署在卢雷菲约登（Lurefjorden）附近，该峡湾由深海冠状美杜鹃（Merusae Periphylla periphylla）人口稠密，位于附近峡湾的马斯菲约登（Masfjorden），没有大量发生P.periphylla，在鲑鱼养殖场密集的峡湾哈当厄尔峡湾（Hardangerfjorden），以及在北部峡湾的卡尔德峡湾（Kaldfjorden），也从事水产养殖活动。对总颗粒物（TPM），颗粒有机碳（POC），叶绿素a（chl a）和硅藻通量的测量表明，从3月或4月开始出口了硅藻，并且在雨季中大量输入了来自陆地的无机物。和所有采样的峡湾融雪事件。在近内陆的Lurefjorden记录到最高的年度POC通量。在哈当厄尔峡湾，出口通量表明了水产养殖活动的局部影响，但淡水径流和水交换对出口通量的影响大于水产养殖废物的释​​放。在Kaldfjorden，TPM，POC，chl a几乎不存在，并且在春季末夏初的硅藻通量表明强烈的分层阻止了颗粒物向深处的出口。总体而言，来自沉积物陷阱的通量反映了挪威峡湾颗粒物来源的时空变化。