ABSTRACT

To assess the potential as carbon storages of short-life organisms in shallow coastal areas, refractory carbon fractions were examined using rapid biodegradation experiments. Refractory fractions of primary producers, such as seaweed and phytoplankton represented 31.2%−44.0% of the total carbon content. The seagrass Zostera marina contained a high rate of refractory carbon fraction, with 83.4% of the carbon in the belowground parts of Z. marina remaining as refractory carbon, which suggested that it had a significant function as a carbon storage in the shallow coastal area. The content of refractory carbon in the soft tissues of bivalves and gastropods were approximately 8.5%−31.5%, lower than that in other macrobenthos such as arthropods and echinoderms (29.7%−52.0%). The residual carbon in mollusk shells was mostly particulate inorganic carbon. In addition, 4.0%−19.1% of refractory organic carbon derived from polysaccharides and/or proteins in biominerals, while byssus remained. Considering the amount of shells in the shallow coastal zone, this organic carbon appeared to be a substantial carbon storage. Results suggested that not only primary producers but also macrobenthos and sessile animals have important carbon storage functions in coastal aquatic ecosystems.

摘要

为了评估浅海沿岸地区短寿命生物作为碳储存的潜力，使用快速生物降解实验检查了难降解的碳部分。初级生产者的耐火部分，如海藻和浮游植物，占总碳含量的 31.2%-44.0%。海草叶藻中的地下部分含有耐火碳馏分的高速率，与碳的83.4％叶藻保留为难熔碳，这表明它在浅海地区具有显着的碳储存功能。双壳类和腹足类软组织中难熔碳的含量约为8.5%-31.5%，低于节肢动物和棘皮动物等其他大型底栖动物（29.7%-52.0%）。软体动物壳中残留的碳主要是颗粒无机碳。此外，4.0%-19.1% 的难熔有机碳来源于生物矿物中的多糖和/或蛋白质，而byssus 仍然存在。考虑到浅海区贝壳的数量，这种有机碳似乎是一个大量的碳储存。结果表明，在沿海水生生态系统中，不仅初级生产者而且大型底栖动物和固着动物都具有重要的碳储存功能。