title: Effects of Bioadvection by Arenicola marina on Microphytobenthos in Permeable Sediments.
abstract: We used hyperspectral imaging to study short-term effects of bioturbation by lugworms (Arenicola marina) on the surficial biomass of microphytobenthos (MPB) in permeable marine sediments. Within days to weeks after the addition of a lugworm to a homogenized and recomposed sediment, the average surficial MPB biomass and its spatial heterogeneity were, respectively, 150-250% and 280% higher than in sediments without lugworms. The surficial sediment area impacted by a single medium-sized lugworm (~4 g wet weight) over this time-scale was at least 340 cm2. While sediment reworking was the primary cause of the increased spatial heterogeneity, experiments with lugworm-mimics together with modeling showed that bioadvective porewater transport from depth to the sediment surface, as induced by the lugworm ventilating its burrow, was the main cause of the increased surficial MPB biomass. Although direct measurements of nutrient fluxes are lacking, our present data show that enhanced advective supply of nutrients from deeper sediment layers induced by faunal ventilation is an important mechanism that fuels high primary productivity at the surface of permeable sediments even though these systems are generally characterized by low standing stocks of nutrients and organic material.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chennu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Volkenborn
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Beer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States of America.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wethey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Woodin
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Polerecky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water