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Effect of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria on benthic fluxes of inorganic nutrients and gases

Effect of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria on benthic fluxes of inorganic nutrients and gases 227 94 94 3 3 P. H. Doering J. R. Kelly C. A. Oviatt T. Sowers Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island 02882 Narragansett Rhode Island USA Ecosystems Research Center Cornell University 14853 Ithaca New York USA Abstract The effect of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria (L.) on the exchange of dissolved nutrients (silicate, phosphate, ammonium, nitrate+nitrite) and gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide) across the sediment-water interface was examined in 1983 and 1984 using experimental mesocosms (13 m 3 ), designed to simulate a shallow coastal ecosystem, that allow for reciprocal biogeochemical interactions between water column (5 m) and bottom sediments (∼30 cm deep). Benthic, fluxes, measured during a spring-summer warming period, were compared for mesocosms maintained either with added M. mercenaria (16 per m 2 , treatment) or without M. mercenaria (control) as a component of the benthic community. Fluxes were within the range observed for the (control) community in situ in mid-Narragansett Bay and exhibited the pattern of increasing flux with increasing temperature observed in nature. For dissolved inorganic (DIN=ammonia+nitrate+nitrite), analytical problems allowed comparison of fluxes only at the higher temperatures (∼17° to 22°C); average DIN fluxes were 57% higher in mesocosms with clams. Fluxes of other nutrients and gases were modelled as exponential functions of temperature (∼9° to 22°C) using a linear regression of the natural logarithm of flux upon temperature in both treatment and control situations. Differences between regression slopes and intercepts for conditions with and without clams were assessed by analysis of covariance. Slopes of the linearized temperature-flux relationships were not significantly different between treatments for any flux measured, suggesting that presence of the clams did not alter the basic relationship of flux and temperature normally observed with this community. For oxygen consumption and silicate production, the regression intercepts were significantly higher in the clam treatment, suggesting that the level of flux was generally elevated in the presence of M. mercenaria by about 20% (oxygen) and 86% (silicate) at any given temperature. Data for carbon dioxide and phosphate showed similar trends to oxygen and silicate, but the variance in fluxes was larger and regression intercepts for the two treatments were not significantly different. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Marine Biology Springer Journals

Effect of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria on benthic fluxes of inorganic nutrients and gases

Doering, P.; Kelly, J.; Oviatt, C.; Sowers, T.
Marine Biology , Volume 94 (3) – Apr 1, 1987
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References (37)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Life Sciences; Biomedicine general; Oceanography; Ecology; Microbiology; Zoology
ISSN
0025-3162
eISSN
1432-1793
DOI
10.1007/BF00428243
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

227 94 94 3 3 P. H. Doering J. R. Kelly C. A. Oviatt T. Sowers Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island 02882 Narragansett Rhode Island USA Ecosystems Research Center Cornell University 14853 Ithaca New York USA Abstract The effect of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria (L.) on the exchange of dissolved nutrients (silicate, phosphate, ammonium, nitrate+nitrite) and gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide) across the sediment-water interface was examined in 1983 and 1984 using experimental mesocosms (13 m 3 ), designed to simulate a shallow coastal ecosystem, that allow for reciprocal biogeochemical interactions between water column (5 m) and bottom sediments (∼30 cm deep). Benthic, fluxes, measured during a spring-summer warming period, were compared for mesocosms maintained either with added M. mercenaria (16 per m 2 , treatment) or without M. mercenaria (control) as a component of the benthic community. Fluxes were within the range observed for the (control) community in situ in mid-Narragansett Bay and exhibited the pattern of increasing flux with increasing temperature observed in nature. For dissolved inorganic (DIN=ammonia+nitrate+nitrite), analytical problems allowed comparison of fluxes only at the higher temperatures (∼17° to 22°C); average DIN fluxes were 57% higher in mesocosms with clams. Fluxes of other nutrients and gases were modelled as exponential functions of temperature (∼9° to 22°C) using a linear regression of the natural logarithm of flux upon temperature in both treatment and control situations. Differences between regression slopes and intercepts for conditions with and without clams were assessed by analysis of covariance. Slopes of the linearized temperature-flux relationships were not significantly different between treatments for any flux measured, suggesting that presence of the clams did not alter the basic relationship of flux and temperature normally observed with this community. For oxygen consumption and silicate production, the regression intercepts were significantly higher in the clam treatment, suggesting that the level of flux was generally elevated in the presence of M. mercenaria by about 20% (oxygen) and 86% (silicate) at any given temperature. Data for carbon dioxide and phosphate showed similar trends to oxygen and silicate, but the variance in fluxes was larger and regression intercepts for the two treatments were not significantly different.

Journal

Marine Biology – Springer Journals

Published: Apr 1, 1987

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