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Effects of warming and CO2 enrichment on O2 consumption, porewater oxygenation and pH of subtidal silt sediment

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Abstract

We investigated the effects of seawater warming and CO2 enrichment on the microbial community metabolism (using O2 consumption as a proxy) in subtidal silt sediment. Intact sediment cores, without large dwelling infauna, were incubated for 24 days at 12 (in situ) and 18 °C to confirm the expected temperature response. We then enriched the seawater overlying a subset of cold and warm-incubated cores with CO2 (+ ΔpCO2: 253–396 µatm) for 16 days and measured the metabolic response. Warming increased the depth-integrated volume-specific O2 consumption (Rvol), the maximum in the volume-specific O2 consumption at the bottom of the oxic zone (Rvol,bmax) and the volume-specific net O2 production (Pn,vol), and decreased the O2 penetration depth (O2-pd) and the depth of Rvol,bmax (depthbmax). Benthic photosynthesis oscillated the pH in the upper 2 mm of the sediment. CO2 enrichment of the warm seawater did not alter this oscillation but shifted the pH profile towards acidity; the effect was greatest at the surface and decreased to a depth of 12 mm. Confoundment rendered the CO2 treatment of the cold seawater inconclusive. In warm seawater, we found no statistically clear effect of CO2 enrichment on Rvol, Rvol,bmax, Pn,vol, O2-pd, or depthbmax and therefore suspect that this perturbation did not alter the microbial community metabolism. This confirms the conclusion from experiments with other, contrasting types of sediment.

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The datasets are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Wenshi Gong, Evan Brown, Ruth Auapaau and Tanayaz Patel assisted in the field and the laboratory. Kim Currie analysed the seawater dissolved inorganic carbon content and total alkalinity.

Funding

This study was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (contract UOWX1602).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, New Zealand

    Kay Vopel & Bonnie Laverock

  2. School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Craig Cary & Conrad A. Pilditch

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  1. Kay Vopel
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  2. Bonnie Laverock
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  3. Craig Cary
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  4. Conrad A. Pilditch
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KV conceived the experiment. KV and BL performed the experiment. KV and CAP analysed the data. KV wrote the paper with assistance from CAP and CC.

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Correspondence to Kay Vopel.

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Vopel, K., Laverock, B., Cary, C. et al. Effects of warming and CO2 enrichment on O2 consumption, porewater oxygenation and pH of subtidal silt sediment. Aquat Sci 83, 8 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-020-00765-5

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