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Ecogeochemistry and Denitrification in Non-eutrophic Coastal Sediments

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Abstract

Coastal nutrient pollution is an ever-present threat to estuaries worldwide. Benthic denitrification has been identified as a crucial ecosystem service to help mitigate increasing N loads to the coast. However, the controls on denitrification in low-nutrient systems are not well constrained and are likely different to those in more widely studied eutrophic systems. This study aims to identify the specific controls on denitrification in low-nutrient estuaries, including the contribution of the macrofaunal community to denitrification rates, and to understand how this important service fits into the network of ecogeochemical processes in these systems. Results show that porewater ammonium concentrations and mud content are good predictors of net N2 flux in the dark. Additionally, models predict N2 flux rates much more effectively in the dark than in the light, but the macrofaunal community data, specifically species richness, is a key factor in both increasing the explanatory power of both models by nearly 20%. Additionally, interaction networks reveal that increasing mud content results in a shift in the macrofaunal community and a reduction in the N removal capacity of these intertidal systems.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Dr. Julie Hope, Dr. Stefano Schenone, Ewa Siwicka and Dr. Jenny Hillman of the Leigh Marine Laboratory at the University of Auckland for assistance with field work and sample collection for this paper. We also thank Natalia Abrego and Professor David Wakrow in the School of Environment at Auckland University for use of the FIA for nutrient analysis and the Malvern for grainsize analysis. We also acknowledge Ngāti manuhiri as tangata whenua, and thank them for granting us access to these sites. This project was funded through the New Zealand National Science Challenge Sustainable Seas, Dynamic Seas, Tipping Points project (CO1X1515).

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  1. Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    A. M. Vieillard & S. F. Thrush

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  1. A. M. Vieillard
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Correspondence to A. M. Vieillard.

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Communicated by Bongkeun Song

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Vieillard, A.M., Thrush, S.F. Ecogeochemistry and Denitrification in Non-eutrophic Coastal Sediments. Estuaries and Coasts 44, 1866–1882 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00912-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00912-7

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