Physical and biological drivers of sediment oxygenation and denitrification in a New Zealand intermittently closed and open lake lagoon |
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| Authors: | Josie A Crawshaw Marc Schallenberg Candida Savage |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand;2. Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand;3. Department of Biological Sciences and Marine Research Institute (MaRE), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | Intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs) are shallow estuarine ecosystems, many of which show eutrophication symptoms. The physical and biological drivers of sediment oxygenation and denitrification were examined in a New Zealand ICOLL using in situ enclosures for one year. Denitrification was seasonally and spatially variable, and higher denitrification rates were driven by organic matter availability, temperature and nitrate flux. The bulldozing invertebrates generally deepened oxygen penetration in 18% of oxygen profiles, consistent with their effect in multiple regressions. Chironomid larvae (Chironomidae) dominated the benthic community, and their tubular burrows modified oxygen penetration into the sediment in 18% of profiles, potentially affecting denitrification in the ICOLL through bioirrigation. Our study shows that macroinvertebrates support increased sediment oxygenation; therefore the use of artificial opening regimes in many ICOLLs may have negative effects on macroinvertebrate community composition and may consequently inhibit denitrification. |
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| Keywords: | Denitrification bioturbation nitrogen cycling oxygen penetration depth ICOLL |
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