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Seasonal variations of dissolved organic matter and nutrients in sediment pore water in the inner part of Tokyo Bay

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Abstract

At four stations in Tokyo Bay, pore water profiles of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON), phosphorus (DOP), and inorganic nutrients were determined at 3-month intervals over 6 years. Concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nutrients were significantly higher in pore waters than in the overlying waters. Pore water DOC, DON, and DOP concentrations in the upper most sediment layer (0–1 cm) ranged from 246 to 888 μM, from 14.6 to 75.9 μM, and from 0.02 to 9.83 μM, respectively. Concentrations of DOM and nutrients in pore waters occasionally showed clear seasonal trends and were highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. The seasonal trends in the pore water DOM concentrations were coupled with trends in the overlying water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration. Benthic effluxes of DON and DOP were low compared with those of inorganic nutrients, accounting for only 1.0 and 1.5 % of the total benthic effluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively; thus benthic DOM fluxes were quantitatively insignificant to the inorganic nutrient fluxes in Tokyo Bay. The DOM fluxes represented about 7, 3, and 10 % of the riverine discharge of DOC, DON, and DOP to Tokyo Bay, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to IDEA Consultants, Inc., Tokyo-Kyuei Co., Sanyo Techno Marine, Inc. for their cooperation in sediment sampling and collecting pore water. This study was conducted as part of follow-up assessment survey by the technical committee for the extension project of Tokyo International Airport, organized by the Ministry of the Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. We thank the scientists and administrators who participated in the assessment for their support for this study. We also thank Drs. Michiyo Yamamoto-Kawai, Fuminori Hashihama and Atsushi Kubo for fruitful discussions. This study was also supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (24510009) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, and by the Sumitomo Foundation Grant (113214). The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers, who provided valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ocean Sciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan, Minato, Tokyo, 108–8477, Japan

    Saori Yasui & Jota Kanda

  2. Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan

    Toshihiro Usui & Hiroshi Ogawa

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  1. Saori Yasui
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Correspondence to Saori Yasui.

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Yasui, S., Kanda, J., Usui, T. et al. Seasonal variations of dissolved organic matter and nutrients in sediment pore water in the inner part of Tokyo Bay. J Oceanogr 72, 851–866 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-016-0382-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-016-0382-0

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