Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS08 Processes at the Benthic Interface (Environmental Connections)

Date: Monday, February 12, 2001, Time: 11:30:00 AM

Location: Ruidoso/Pecos

Moodley, L, , Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Yerseke, Netherlands, moodley@cemo.nioo.knaw.nl

Middelburg, J, J, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Yerseke, Netherlands, middelburg@cemo.nioo.knaw.nl

Boschker, H, T, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Yerseke, Netherlands, boschker@cemo.nioo.knaw.nl

Herman, P, M, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Yerseke, Netherlands, herman@cemo.nioo.knaw.nl

Heip, C, H, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Yerseke, Netherlands, heip@cemo.nioo.knaw.nl

THE SHORT-TERM FATE OF PHYTODETRITUS IN CONTRASTING BENTHIC ENVIRONMENTS: CARBON-13 AS A DELIBERATE TRACER

Axenic C-13-labelled algae have been added to sediments comprising a range in carbon loading and benthic community structure: i.e. from intertidal flat to deep-sea sediments. The fate of added phytodetritus was determined through measurement of the flux and isotopic composition of total inorganic carbon (respiration) and through measurements of the transfer of C-13 from phytodetritus to handpicked foraminifera, meiofauna and macrofauna and to bacterial biomarkers (PLFA). After one day, label partitioning usually ranked respiration > bacteria > macrofauna > meiofauna, with foraminifera either receiving an equal share as bacteria (in the deep sea) or contributing less (between macrofauna and meiofauna). Our experimental results clearly document the importance of foraminifera and bacteria in the short-term response of the benthic community to settling phytodetritus.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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