Microbial decomposition of organic matter in the bottom sediments of small lakes of the urban landscape (Lithuania)

Bacterial abundance and the rates of sulfate reduction (SR) and total organic matter decomposition (D_total) were studied in the bottom sediments of nine lakes in the vicinity of Vilnius (Lithuania) during the ice-free seasons of 2006–2009. During the spring mixing of the water, aerobic processes of organic matter decomposition prevailed in the bottom sediments of most lakes, while anaerobic processes predominated (up to 80–90% D_total) in summer and early autumn. SR rates in the bottom sediments made up 0.16–2.6 and 0.09–2.0 mg S^2?/(dm³ day) for the medium-depth and shallow lakes, respectively. The highest numbers of sulfate-reducing bacteria (up to 10⁶ cells/cm³) and SR rates were observed in summer. SR rate in mediumdepth lakes increased with development of anaerobic conditions at the bottom and elevated sulfate concentrations (up to 96.0 mg/dm³). In shallow lakes, where O₂ concentration at the bottom was at least 6.7 mg/L, SR rates increased with temperature and inflow of fresh organic matter, especially during cyanobacterial blooms. The average SR rates in the bottom sediments of the lakes of urbanized areas were 4 times higher than in the shallow lakes of protected areas. Accumulation of organic matter and its intensive decomposition during summer may enhance the processes of secondary eutrophication of these small and shallow lakes.     

Microbiological decomposition of organic matter in the bottom sediments of Lithuanian lakes

The rates of the processes of bacterial sulfate reduction (SR) and decomposition of organic matter (D(total)) were studied in the bottom sediments (BS) of 14 lakes in Lithuanian national and regional parks in the summers of 1998-2002. Anaerobic processes accounted for an average of 92% of D(total) in the depressions of deep-water lakes; for the sediments of shallow lakes, high rates of oxygen uptake were noted. The SR rate in different lakes varied from 0.09 to 2.60 mg S(2-)/(dm3 day). At low sulfate concentrations (13.3-70.6 mg S-SO4(2-) /dm3), characteristic of the BS of freshwater ecosystems, the main factor that affected the SR rate in the BS of the lakes studied was the content of readily available organic matter, only in special cases, was it affected by a change in the sulfate ion concentration. In shallow lakes, both temperature-dependent activation of sulfate-reducing bacteria and their inhibition by acidification of the environment were recorded. The contribution of SR to D(total) was 0.2 to 11.0%.     

Bacterioplankton and Bacteriobenthos of Three Floodplain Lakes in the Lower Course of the Amur River

The main structural and functional characteristics of bacterioplankton and bacteriobenthos of three lakes in the lower course of the Amur River are presented: the total number of bacteria (TNB), biomass, the numbers of bacteria of certain aerobic and anaerobic groups; the intensities of methanogenesis (MG), methane oxidation (MO), assimilation of ¹⁴C-compounds, sulfate reduction (SR); and gross estimate of organic matter decomposition (D). Depending on the reservoir type and the anthropogenic load, TNB constituted (2.27 to 16.1) × 10⁶ cells/ml in water and (1.06 to 10.35) × 10⁹cells/cm³ in sediments; MO was 0 to 0.28 ml CH₄/(l day) in water and 0 to 8.4 ml CH₄/(dm³ day) in sediments; MG in sediments was 0.001 to 40 ml CH₄/(dm³ day); SR varied from 0.001 to 24.8 mg S/(dm³ day); D was 0.3 to 25 g C/(m² day) in water and 0.2 to 4.9 g C/(m² day) in sediments. The role of anaerobic microbial processes of organic matter decomposition was shown to increase with an increase in the anthropogenic load, attaining 95% of the total D in the ecosystem of an accumulating pond.     

Microbiological and biogeochemical processes in a pockmark of the Gdansk depression,Baltic Sea

Comprehensive microbiological and biogeochemical investigation of a pockmark within one of the sites of gas-saturated sediments in the Gdansk depression, Baltic Sea was carried out during the 87th voyage of the Professor Shtokman research vessel. Methane content in the near-bottom water and in the underlying sediments indicates stable methane flow from the sediment into the water. In the 10-m water layer above the pockmark, apart from methane anomalies, elevated numbers of microorganisms and enhanced rates of dark CO₂ fixation (up to 1.15 µmol C/(l day)) and methane oxidation (up to 2.14 nmol CH₄/(l day)) were revealed. Lightened isotopic composition of suspended organic matter also indicates high activity of the near-bottom microbial community. Compared to the background stations, methane content in pockmark sediments increased sharply from the surface to 40–60 ml/dm³ in the 20–30 cm horizon. High rates of bacterial sulfate reduction (SR) were detected throughout the core (0–40 cm); the maximum of 74 µmol S/(dm³ day) was located in subsurface horizons (15–20 cm). The highest rates of anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO), up to 80 µmol/dm³ day), were detected in the same horizon. Good coincidence of the AMO and SR profiles with stoichiometry close to 1: 1 is evidence in favor of a close relation between these processes performed by a consortium of methanotrophic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Methane isotopic composition in subsurface sediments of the pockmark (from ?53.0 to ?56.5‰) does not rule out the presence of methane other than the biogenic methane from the deep horizons of the sedimentary cover.     

Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Gypsum Karst Lakes of Northern Lithuania

Microbiological studies were performed in three small gypsum karst lakes in northern Lithuania, most typical of the region. Samples were taken in different seasons of 2001. The conditions for microbial growth in the lakes are determined by elevated content of salts (from 0.5 to 2.0 g/l), dominated by SO ₄ ^2? and Ca²⁺ ions (up to 1.4 and 0.6 g/l, respectively). The elevated sulfate concentration is favorable for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs). Summer and winter stratification gives rise to anaerobic water layers enriched in products of anaerobic degradation: H₂S and CH₄. The lakes under study contain abundant SRBs not only in bottom sediments (from 10³ to 10⁷ cells/dm³) but also in the water column (from 10² to 10⁶ cells/ml). The characteristic spatial and temporal variations in the rate of sulfate reduction were noted. The highest rates of this process were recorded in summer: 0.95–2.60 mg S^2?/dm³ per day in bottom sediments and up to 0.49 mg S^2?/l per day in the water column. The maximum values (up to 11.36 mg S^2?/dm³) were noted in areas where bottom sediments were enriched in plankton debris. Molecular analysis of conservative sequences of the gene for 16S rRNA in sulfate-reducing microorganisms grown on lactate allowed them to be identified as Desulfovibrio desulfuricans.     

Factors controlling the activity of the microbial community of the alkaline Lake Beloe (Transbaikal Region)

In this work, the main environmental factors determining the functioning of the microbial community of the alkaline low-mineralized Lake Beloe during the annual cycle were studied. High numbers of phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms (up to 10⁷ cells/mL) and high rates of bacterial processes of organic matter (OM) production and destruction were observed. The highest rate of dark CO₂ assimilation (up to 0.43 mg C dm⁻³ day⁻¹), as well as the peak intensities of the terminal processes of sulfate reduction and methanogenesis (up to 1.81 mg S dm⁻³ day⁻¹ and 0.96 μL CH⁴ dm⁻³ day⁻¹, respectively), detected at the end of summer, were comparable to the rates of these processes detected in the bottom sediments of most soda lakes of the Transbaikal Region. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) allowed us to estimate the effect of environmental factors on the functioning of the microbial community of the alkaline Lake Beloe. Four main components, explaining 98% of variations, were detected. The first one (PC1) explained 63.5% of the seasonal variations and represented the temperature factor consisting of the temperatures of air, water, and bottom sediments. Water temperature and pH were the main contributors to the second component (PC2) and determine 26.2% of the seasonal variations. The PC3 (silt temperature and the concentration of organic matter) and PC4 (salt concentration) components were less important and explained only 6.5 and 2.2% of the variations, respectively.     

Microbiological and isotopic geochemical research in the arid steppe lakes and sor solonchaks of Western Transbaikalia

The rates of microbial processes in the sor solonchaks and the silts of the Western Transbaikalean saline lakes were investigated. The rate of deep CO₂ fixation in the silt of Lake Beloe was as high as 0.19 mg C dm⁻³ day⁻¹. The content of cellulose and protein in the sor solonchaks (for air-dry material) were up to 5.0 and 0.42 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The rates of cellulose decomposition and proteolysis in the silt were 1.08 and 0.96 % day⁻¹, respectively. Sulfate reduction (up to 1.82 mg S dm⁻³ day⁻¹) prevails at the terminal stages of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in the silt. During the flooding period, methanogenesis producing isotopically light CH₄ probably prevails in the sor solonchaks and arid soils of the region. This suggestion is supported by the surface foaming of the local arid soils after abundant monsoon rains, an increase in the δ¹³C value for soil carbonates to -5.94‰ along the solonchak profile, and a decrease in the ·¹³C value for the soil carbonates formed by methane-oxidizing bacteria to −11.41‰. The seasonal peaks of isotopically heavier (to −16.60‰) organic matter in the bottom sediments of the lake may be explained as the result of activity of heterotrophic sulfate reducers, which exhibited the highest growth rates at the peak sulfate concentrations in the silt.     

Intensity of the Microbiological Processes of the Methane Cycle in Different Types of Baltic Lakes

The intensity of the microbiological processes of methane formation (MF) and methane oxidation (MO) was determined in the sediments and water of different types of Baltic lakes. The emission of methane from the lake sediments and methane distribution in the water column of the lakes were studied as functions of the lake productivity and hydrologic conditions. During summers, the intensity of MF in the lake sediments and waters varied from 0.001 to 106 ml CH₄/(dm³ day) and from 0 to 3.2 ml CH₄/(l day), respectively, and the intensity of MO in the sediments and water varied from 0 to 11.2 ml CH₄/(dm³ day) and from 0 to 1.1 ml CH₄/(l day), respectively. The total methane production (MP) in the lakes varied from 15 to 5000 ml CH₄/(m² day). In anoxic waters, the MP comprised 9–18% of the total PM in the lakes. The consumption of organic carbon for methanogenesis varied from 0.03 to 9.7 g/(m² day). The role of the methane cycle in the degradation of organic matter in the lakes increased with their productivity.     

Microbial processes of organic matter production and decomposition in saline rivers of the Lake Elton area (Volgograd oblast,Russia)

The rates of microbial processes and phylogenetic diversity of the microorganisms responsible for organic matter production and decomposition in the benthic communities and bottom sediments of the rivers Solyanka, Lantsug, Khara, Chernavka, and Bol’shaya Smorogda (Lake Elton area, Volgograd oblast, Russia) were studied. The biomass and primary production of cyano–bacterial communities varied significantly within the ranges of 20–903 mg Chl a/m² and 0.2–21 mg C/(m² h), respectively. Depending on the season, the share of anoxygenic CO₂ fixation varied from 20% to the values comparable to the rate of oxygenic photosynthesis. The total heterotrophic activity of microbial communities determined as the rate of dark CO₂ assimilation varied from 31 to 750 μmol/(dm³ day) in the mats and from 3 to 137 μmol/(dm³ day) in the sediments. The rates of sulfate reduction and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis varied from 10 to 2621 μmol S/dm³ day) and from 1.5 to 323 nmol CH₄/(dm³ day), respectively. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes in cyano–bacterial mats revealed microorganisms belonging to 20 phyla, with the sequences of Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes being the most numerous.     

Microbial processes of the carbon and sulfur cycles in the White Sea

The present paper contains the results of our microbiological and biogeochemical investigations carried out during a series of expeditions to the White Sea in 2002–2006. The studies were conducted in the open part of the White Sea, as well as in the Onega, Dvina, and Kandalaksha bays. In August 2006, the photosynthetic productivity in the surface water layer was low (47–145 mg C m^?2 day^?1). Quantitative characteristics of microbial numbers and activity of the the key microbial processes occurring in the water column of the White Sea were explored. Over the 5-year period of observations, the total number of bacterial cells in the surface layer of the water column varied from 50 to 600 thousand cells ml^?1. In August 2006, bacterioplankton production (BP) was estimated to be 0.26–3.3 μg C l^?1 day^?1; the P/B coefficient varied from 0.22 to 0.93. The suspended organic matter had a lighter isotope composition (from ?28.0 to ?30.5‰) due to the predominance of terrigenous organic matter delivered by the Northern Dvina waters. The interseasonal and interannual variation coefficients for phytoplankton production and BP numbers are compared. The bacterioplankton community of the White Sea’s deep water was found to be more stable than that of the surface layer. In the surface layer of bottom sediments, methane concentration was 0.2–5.2 μl dm^?3; the rate of bacterial sulfate reduction was 18–260 μg S dm^?3 day^?1; and the rates of methane production and oxidation were 24–123 and 6–13 nl CH₄ dm^?3 day^?1, respectively. We demonstrated that the rates of microbial processes of the carbon and sulfur cycles occurring in the sediments of the White Sea basin were low.     

Activity and structure of the sulfate-reducing bacterial community in the sediments of the southern part of Lake Baikal

The rates of sulfate reduction (SR) and the diversity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were studied in the sediments of the Posol’skaya Banka elevation in the southern part of Lake Baikal. SR rates varied from 1.2 to 1641 nmol/(dm³ day), with high rates (>600 nmol/(dm³ day)) observed at both deep-water stations and in subsurface silts. Integral SR rates calculated for the uppermost 50 cm of the sediments were higher for gas-saturated and gas hydrate-bearing sediments than in those with low methane content. Enrichment cultures were obtained in Widdel medium for freshwater SRB. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene fragments from clone libraries obtained from the enrichments revealed the presence of SRB belonged to the genus Desulfosporosinus, with D. lacus as the most closely related member (capable of sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate reduction), as well as members of the order Clostridiales.     

Microbial processes of the carbon and sulfur cycles in the Chukchi Sea

The research performed in August 2004 within the framework of the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) resulted in the first data concerning the rates of the key microbial processes in the water column and bottom sediments of the Bering strait and the Chukchi Sea. The total bacterial counts in the water column varied from 30 × 10³ cells ml^?1 in the northern and eastern parts to 245 × 10³ cells ml^?1 in the southern part. The methane content in the water column of the Chukchi sea varied from 8 nmol CH₄l^?1 in the eastern part of the sea to 31 nmol CH₄l^?1 in the northern part of the Herald Canyon. Microbial activity occurred in the upper 0–3 cm of the bottom sediments; the methane formation rate varied from 0.25 to 16 nmol CH₄dm^?3 day^?1. The rates of methane oxidation varied from 1.61 to 14.7 nmol CH₄dm^?3 day^?1. The rates of sulfate reduction varied from 1.35 to 16.2 μmol SO ₄ ^2? dm^?1 day^?1. The rate of methane formation in the sediments increased with depth, while sulfate reduction rates decreased (less than 1 μmol SO ₄ ^2? dm^?3 day^?1). These high concentrations of biogenic elements and high rates of microbial processes in the upper sediment layers suggest a specific type of trophic chain in the Chukchi Sea. The approximate calculated balance of methane emission from the water column into the atmosphere is from 5.4 to 57.3 μmol CH₄m^?2 day^?1.     

Ecological Significance of Nitrogen Cycling by Tubificid Communities in Shallow Eutrophic Lakes of the Danube Delta

Importance of tubificid populations on nitrogen cycle in two categories of shallow eutrophic lakes in the Danube Delta was quantitatively assessed for the 1992-1993 period. The structure of the primary producers in the studied lakes was used to discriminate between the two categories:(i) lakes dominated by macrophytes (A₁) and (ii) lakes dominated by phytoplankton (A₂). In both categories tubificid worms represented important fraction of the entire benthic community (35 and 32%, respectively, as number of individuals). They influence the sediment-water exchange of nutrients. The main processes involved are excretion of nutrients and their continuous release from sediments by molecular diffusion or through channels created by bioturbation. Inorganic nitrogen released from bottom sediments may regulate nitrogen load in the water body and thus, phytoplankton production. In 1992-1993, nitrogen stocks in tubificid biomass accounted for 5.3% in A₁ lakes and 15.6% in A₂ lakes of the amount stocked in phytoplankton, and only for 1.2 and 2.9% respectively, of the nitrogen load in water body. Nitrogen excretion rates ranged between 60.52 and 153.74 mg N m^–2 year^–1, and release rates from sediments between 378.26 and 960.87 mg N m^–2 year^–1, the lowest values being recorded for A₂ category. Differences are related to tubificid biomass, structure and abundance of primary producers and to nutrient load in different ecosystems. Ratios between release rate of inorganic nitrogen by tubificid worms and sedimentation rate of organic nitrogen in the two categories of lakes were 8.3 and 6.4% respectively. Contribution of nitrogen released daily from sediments to the dissolved inorganic nitrogen load in the water column was less than 0.5%. However, in A₁ and A₂ lakes, the released nitrogen had a potential to sustain 24.74 and 8.01%, respectively, of the annual phytoplankton production. These values suggest the significance of tubificids in keeping the eutrophication process at a high level, especially during the periods when nitrogen is the main limiting factor for phytoplankton production.     

Processes of methane cycle and destruction of organic matter during the ice period in freshwater bodies of various types

Studies conducted in January to March at different parts of the Rybinsk Reservoir, in lakes of various types, and in a pond have demonstrated that the processes of СН₄ cycle during the ice period play an important role in the destruction of С_org and functioning of the ecosystem food webs. In highly trophic polluted lakes, the formation of СН₄ takes place both in silts and in the water column, and its gross production reaches a high summer level of 540–1220 mg С_org/(m² day). Taking into the account methanogenesis, 68–97% of the destruction of organic matter (OM) occurs due to the processes in bottom sediments. In the silts of productive lakes, only anaerobic processes cause the destruction.     

Inorganic sulfur turnover in oligohaline estuarine sediments

Inorganic sulfur turnover was examined in oligohaline (salinity < 2 g kg^-1) Chesapeake Bay sediments during the summer. Cores incubated for < 3 hr exhibited higher sulfate reduction (SR) rates (13–58 mmol m^-2 d^-1) than those incubated for 3–8 hr (3–8 mmol m^-2 d^-1). SR rates (determined with³⁵SO ₄ ^2- ) increased with depth over the top few cm to a maximum at 5 cm, just beneath the boundary between brown and black sediment. SR rates decreased below 5 cm, probably due to sulfate limitation (sulfate < 25 μM). Kinetic experiments yielded an apparent half-saturating sulfate concentration (K_s) of 34 μM, ≈ 20-fold lower than that determined for sediments from the mesohaline region of the estuary. Sulfate loss from water overlying intact cores, predicted on the basis of measured SR rates, was not observed over a 28-hr incubation period. Reduction of³⁵SO ₄ ^2- during diffusion experiments with intact core segments from 0–4 and 5–9 cm horizons was less than predicted by non-steady state diagenetic models based on³⁵SO ₄ ^2- reduction in whole core injection experiments. The results indicate that net sulfate flux into sediments was an order of magnitude lower than the gross sulfur turnover rate. Solid phase reduced inorganic sulfur concentrations were only 2–3 times less than those in sediments from the mesohaline region of the Bay, despite the fact that oligohaline bottom water sulfate concentrations were 10-fold lower. Our results demonstrate the potential for rapid SR in low salinity estuarine sediments, which are inhabited by sulfate-reducing bacteria with a high affinity for sulfate, and in which sulfide oxidation processes replenish the pore water sulfate pool on a time scale of hours.     

Benthic community metabolism and trophic conditions of four South American lakes

Oxygen uptake rates of undisturbed sediment columns have been used as an integrative measure of the metabolic activities of benthic communities. Since the intensity of metabolic processes of profundal lake is dependent on the production of organic matter in the pelagic zone, oxygen uptake rates reflect the trophic condition of the whole lake. Four small lakes of central Chile, differing strongly in trophic conditions, provided a possibility to compare benthic oxygen uptake rates, under different oxygen conditions (Quiñenco, Grande, Chica and Lleulleu). Our objective was to establish the relationship between the oxygen uptake rates and bottom characteristics of lakes with different trophic conditions. At 8 mg O₂ l^-1 in the overlying water of the cores studied, the oxygen uptake rates of the sediment were: Quiñenco 51.2–56.0 mg O₂ m² h^-1 (eutrophic), Grande 41.2–46.4 mg O₂ m² h^-1 (mesotrophic), Chica 23.2–18.1 mg O₂ m² h^-1 (mesotrophic) and Lleulleu 11.7–16.0 mg O₂ m² h^-1 (oligotrophic). By exposing the sediments to different oxygen levels in the laboratory, it was found that benthic community metabolism decreased with oxygen concentrations. The slope of regression lines, relating oxygen uptake rates to oxygen concentrations, differed for the different sites investigated, closely related with the trophic conditions of the lakes. It was positively correlated with the organic matter content of the sediment of the cores (r ²= 0.78, p<0,05) and the nutrients of the bottom waters (total-P: r ²= 0.73, p<0,05; total-N: r ²= 0.73, p<0,05), and negatively with the redox potential of the sediments (r ²= 0.88, p<0,05).     

Biogeochemical processes in the groundwater discharge zone of urban streams

The influence of biogeochemical processes on nitrogen and organic matter transformation and transport was investigated for two urban streams receiving groundwater discharge during the dry summer baseflow period. A multiple lines of evidence approach involving catchment-, and stream reach-scale investigations were undertaken to describe the factors that influence pore water biogeochemical processes. At the catchment-scale gaining stream reaches were identified from water table mapping and groundwater discharge estimated to be between 0.1 and 0.8 m³ m^?2 d^?1 from baseflow analysis. Sediment temperature profiles also suggested that the high groundwater discharge limited stream water infiltration into the sediments. At the stream reach-scale, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations were higher in stream water than in groundwater. However, DOC and DON concentrations were greatest in sediment pore water. This suggests that biodegradation of sediment organic matter contributes dissolved organic matter (DOM) to the streams along with that delivered with groundwater flow. Pore water ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) was closely associated with areas of high pore water DOM concentrations and evidence of sulfate (SO₄ ^2?) reduction (low concentration and SO₄:Cl ratio). This indicates that anoxic DOM mineralization was occurring associated with SO₄ ^2? reduction. However the distribution of anoxic mineralization was limited to the center of the streambed, and was not constrained by the distribution of sediment organic matter which was higher along the banks. Lower sediment temperatures measured along the banks compared to the center suggests, at least qualitatively, that groundwater discharge is higher along the banks. Based on this evidence anoxic mineralization is influenced by groundwater residence time, and is only measurable along the center of the stream where groundwater flux rates are lower. This study therefore shows that the distribution of biogeochemical processes in stream sediments, such as anoxic mineralization, is strongly influenced by both the biogeochemical conditions and pore water residence time.     

The Process of Microbial Sulfate Reduction in Sediments of the Coastal Zone and Littoral of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea

Microbiological and biogeochemical investigations of the coastal zone and the littoral of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea were carried out. The material for investigations was obtained in the series of expeditions of the Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, in August 1999, 2000, 2001, and in March 2003. The studies were conducted on the littoral and in the water area of the Kandalaksha Preserve, the Moscow University Belomorsk Biological Station, and the Zoological Institute Biological Station, Russian Academy of Sciences. Sediment sampling on the littoral was carried out in the typical microlandscapes differing in the sediment properties and macrobenthos distribution. The maximal sulfate reduction rate (SRR) was shown for the shallow part of the Chernorechenskaya Bay (up to 2550 g S/(dm³ day)) and in the Bab'ye More Bay (up to 3191 g S/(dm³ day)). During the winter season, at a temperature of –0.5 × 0.5°C, the SRR in the sediments of the Kartesh Bay was 7.9 × 13 g S/(dm³ day). In the widest limits, the SRR values varied in the sediment cores sampled on the littoral. The minimal values (11 g S/(dm³ day)) were obtained in the core samples on the silt–sandy littoral. The littoral finely dispersed sediments rich in organic matter were characterized by high SRR values (524–1413 g S/(dm³ day)). The maximal SRR values were shown for the sediments present within the stretch of decomposing macrophytes, in local pits at the lower littoral waterline, and in the mouth of a freshwater stream (51–159 mg S/(dm³ day)). A sharp difference in the level of H₂S production in the type microlandscapes was shown. The average hydrogen sulfide production in finely dispersed sediments constituted 125 mg S/(m² day); in stormy discharge deposits, 1950 mg S/(m² day); in depressions under stones and in silted pits, 4300 mg S/(m² day). A calculation made with regard to the area of microlandscapes with increased productivity shows that the daily H₂S production per 1 km² of the littoral (August) is 60.8 to 202 kg S/(km² day), while the organic carbon consumption for sulfate reduction per 1 km² of the littoral is 46 to 152 kg C_org/(km² day).     

Porewater Stoichiometry of Terminal Metabolic Products, Sulfate, and Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Estuarine Intertidal Creek-bank Sediments

Porewater equilibration samplers were used to obtain porewater inventories of inorganic nutrients (NH₄⁺, NO_x, PO₄³⁻), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), sulfate (SO₄²⁻), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), chloride (Cl⁻), methane (CH₄) and reduced iron (Fe²⁺) in intertidal creek-bank sediments at eight sites in three estuarine systems over a range of salinities and seasons. Sulfate reduction (SR) rates and sediment particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) were also determined at several of the sites. Four sites in the Okatee River estuary in South Carolina, two sites on Sapelo Island, Georgia and one site in White Oak Creek, Georgia appeared to be relatively pristine. The eighth site in Umbrella Creek, Georgia was directly adjacent to a small residential development employing septic systems to handle household waste. The large data set (>700 porewater profiles) offers an opportunity to assess system-scale patterns of porewater biogeochemical dynamics with an emphasis on DOC and DON distributions. SO₄²⁻ depletion (SO₄²⁻)_Dep was used as a proxy for SR, and (SO₄²⁻)_Dep patterns agreed with measured (³⁵S) patterns of SR. There were significant system-scale correlations between the inorganic products of terminal metabolism (DIC, NH₄⁺ and PO₄³⁻) and (SO₄²⁻)_Dep, and SR appeared to be the dominant terminal carbon oxidation pathway in these sediments. Porewater inventories of DIC and (SO₄²⁻)_Dep indicate a 2:1 stoichiometry across sites, and the C:N ratio of the organic matter undergoing mineralization was between 7.5 and 10. The data suggest that septic-derived dissolved organic matter with a C:N ratio below 6 fueled microbial metabolism and SR at a site with development in the upland. Seasonality was observed in the porewater inventories, but temperature alone did not adequately describe the patterns of (SO₄²⁻)_Dep, terminal metabolic products (DIC, NH₄⁺, PO₄³⁻), DOC and DON, and SR observed in this study. It appears that production and consumption of labile DOC are tightly coupled in these sediments, and that bulk DOC is likely a recalcitrant pool. Preferential hydrolysis of PON relative to POC when overall organic matter mineralization rates were high appears to drive the observed patterns in POC:PON, DOC:DON and DIC:DIN ratios. These data, along with the weak seasonal patterns of SR and organic and inorganic porewater inventories, suggest that the rate of hydrolysis limits organic matter mineralization in these intertidal creek-bank sediments.     

Stimulation of sulfate reduction rates in Mediterranean fish farm sediments inhabited by the seagrass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Posidonia oceanica</Emphasis>

Sulfate reduction rates and biogeochemical parameters of fish farm sediments across the Mediterranean were investigated in the order to evaluate the potential effects of organic matter inputs on habitat quality for the common seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Four study sites were selected in Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus to represent the Mediterranean basin. P. oceanica was found in immediate vicinity of all the farms, which were located at physically exposed sites about 1 km from the shore lines. Organic matter accumulation, sulfate reduction rates and sulfur pools were measured in depth profiles along transects from the farms in both bare and vegetated sediments. Results show that although the organic matter accumulation was minor at the sites (POC < 2.8% DW), the sulfate reduction rates were high, in particular at the largest farm in Italy (up to 212 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹), similar to rates found at shallower, temperate fish farm sites, where higher sedimentation rates can be expected. Sulfate reducing bacteria in these low-organic, carbonate-rich Mediterranean sediments respond strongly to organic matter loadings and cause habitat degradation. Sulfate reduction rates measured in the P. oceanica sediments were among the highest recorded (7.8–42.0 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) similar to rates found in degrading meadows impacted by organic matter loadings. As sulfate reduction rates were correlated with the sedimentation rates along the transects rather than organic matter pools this suggests mineralization processes were controlled by organic matter loading in fish farm sediments. The vegetated sediments near the net cages were more reduced due to accumulation of sulfides compared to control sites, which is a possible contributing factor to the observed seagrass decline in the farm surroundings. It is recommended that Mediterranean fish farms are placed in areas with rapid dispersal of particulate waste products to minimize organic matter loading of the sediments and thereby preserve habitat quality for benthic fauna and flora.