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Impact of Sediment Bioturbation on Microphytobenthic Primary Producers: Importance of Macrobenthic Functional Traits

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Abstract

Microphytobenthos (MPB) is one of the most important primary producers in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, where it plays a substantial role in many ecological functions. Although the influence of several environmental factors on MPB biomass and productivity is well documented, the effects of macrofaunal bioturbation remain poorly assessed. The purpose of this study was to experimentally quantify the influence of sediment bioturbation processes (that is, sediment reworking and bioirrigation) on biogeochemical fluxes across the sediment–water interface and MPB biomass and photosynthetic capacities. Two infaunal deposit feeders (the polychaete Hediste diversicolor and the bivalve Scrobicularia plana) exhibiting contrasting bioturbation modes and rates were studied as model organisms. They differently affected MPB biomass and photosynthetic performance. Hence, through an intense bioirrigation activity and the stimulation of nutrient fluxes (NH4+ , NOx, PO42− and dSi) at the sediment surface, H. diversicolor enhanced MPB growth, which seemed to compensate for its direct consumption. Conversely, high sediment reworking rates generated by S. plana, associated with an extensive grazing pressure, drastically limited the development of MPB at the sediment surface. The negative impact of bivalves on MPB biomass increased with increasing density, whereas there was no significant relationship with polychaete density, possibly due to trophic competition. This study demonstrates that macrofaunal bioturbation is a key factor regulating MPB dynamics, with complex interactions that can result in a net either positive or negative effect depending on dominant species functional traits and abundances. This may, in particular, explain the strong spatial and temporal variability of the microbenthic primary productivity in intertidal mudflats.

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Data Availability

The datasets used for this study have been posted on the Environmental Data Initiative (EDI). The data package is available for download here: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/1b2f0f55dfd3c0d83715effa7da00546(Accessed 2022-12-15).

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank especially Thomas Lecarpentier and Edith Parlanti, for their participation in the sampling and the experiment. We also thank Nicolas Savoye and Nathalie Labourdette for their assistance with laboratory work and to MDPI editing service for correcting the English of our manuscript. We are grateful to the GIP Seine-Aval, and especially Nicolas Bacq for his implication in the PHARE-SEE project.

Funding

This research was funded by the GIP Seine-Aval program through the research project SA6-PHARE SEE (2017–2020).

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Author notes

  1. Author Contributions: AR, FO, JM and OM designed the study. AR, FO, JM and OM performed the experiment. AR, FO, JM, GB, M-AC, XdM and OM analyzed the data. AR-R and SP-H designed the software to analyze the data. AR wrote the original draft. All authors contributed to and provided feedback on various drafts of the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33600, Pessac, France

    Anaïs Richard, Alicia Romero-Ramirez, Marie-Ange Cordier, Xavier de Montaudouin & Olivier Maire

  2. University of Normandie, University of Caen Normandie, FRE 2030 BOREA, CNRS-7208, IRD-207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, UA, 14032, Caen, France

    Francis Orvain & Jérôme Morelle

  3. IFREMER, Littoral, 33120, Arcachon, France

    Guillaume Bernard

  4. CNRS, UAR POREA 2567, Bâtiments B18/B18N, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615, Pessac, France

    Stéphane Paulin-Henricksson

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  1. Anaïs Richard
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Correspondence to Olivier Maire.

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All the samples were taken with the agreement of Thomas Lecarpentier ("maison de l’estuaire"), a representative of the Reserve, who was our contact throughout the project. No further authorization was required, and this field study did not involve endangered or protected species.

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Richard, A., Orvain, F., Morelle, J. et al. Impact of Sediment Bioturbation on Microphytobenthic Primary Producers: Importance of Macrobenthic Functional Traits. Ecosystems 26, 1077–1094 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-022-00817-x

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