Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS08 Processes at the Benthic Interface (Environmental Connections)

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Time: 11:15:00 AM

Location: Ruidoso/Pecos

Beaulieu, S, E, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA, stace@whoi.edu

Francois, R, , Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA, rfrancois@whoi.edu

Shimeta, J, , Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, USA, j_shimeta@acad.fandm.edu

Amos, C, L, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom, Carl.L.Amos@soc.soton.ac.uk

RESUSPENSION OF ORGANIC MATTER AND ASSOCIATED METALS FROM COASTAL SEDIMENTS

Resuspension of the "fluff" on consolidated sediments can remobilize toxic metals, increasing their residence time in the water column of coastal ecosystems. We are interested in the impact of resuspension of "fluff" on the transport dynamics of organic matter and associated metals in Buzzards Bay, MA. Our main objective was to measure directly the shear stresses necessary for resuspension of organic matter and associated metals at two sites that differed in sediment grain size. Our approach involved: (1) manipulating bed stress with a submersible, annular flume, and (2) observing natural resuspension over a tidal cycle. Samples of flume and ambient water were taken near-bottom at increasing bed stresses. Prior to the sampling at each site, a bottom tripod was deployed with a current meter and transmissometer. Divers collected sediment cores during each of the sampling days. We intend to identify and correlate critical erosion thresholds for various constituents of resuspended material, including organic matter (characterized by CHN, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, and microscopy) and metals added to coastal waters by human activities in the Buzzards Bay watershed (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Ag).

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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