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Influences of green macroalgae blooms on nutrients and sulfide dynamics in hypereutrophic intertidal ecosystems

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Abstract

Blooms of green macroalgae (Ulva spp.) occur frequently in the hypereutrophic Yatsu tidal flat of eastern Japan. In this study, to elucidate the effects of such blooms on nutrients and sulfide dynamics, we measured Ulva nutrients uptakes and stocks, and sulfide release during Ulva blooms decay. NH4+ uptake was greater than NO3– uptake when NH4+ was sufficient, whereas NO3– uptake increased in the absence of NH4+. NH4+ concentration was generally higher than that of NO3– in seawater; thus, Ulva spp. would prefer NH4+ as N substrate. The mean N and P amounts in Ulva blooms were 2,320 kg-N and 116 kg-P, respectively. Sudden, rapid blooms collapse appears to release extremely high amounts of nutrients, especially NH4+. Thus, Ulva blooms affect NH4+ behavior and consequently affect N cycling in the Yatsu tidal flat. High sulfide concentrations were detected under anoxic Ulva mats following peaks in biomass. Incubation experiments revealed that sulfide was derived not only from SO42– in seawater but also from the S contained in Ulva spp. Subsequently, sulfide might be microbiologically oxidized to elemental sulfur thereafter. Moreover, sulfide was not detected without Ulva spp.. Therefore, Ulva blooms also influence S cycling in Yatsu tidal flat.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all students in the biogeochemistry laboratory at Toho University for their assistance in field surveys and nutrient analyses. This work was supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI grants (Nos. JP15K00525 and JP15K01174).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan

    Yukiko Senga, Wataru Kobayashi & Kasumi Mikawa

  2. Faculty of Geo-Environmental Science, Rissho University, 1700 Magechi, Kumagaya, Saitama, 360-0194, Japan

    Toshiyuki Kitazawa, Seongwon Lee & Yohei Shiraki

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  1. Yukiko Senga
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  2. Wataru Kobayashi
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  6. Yohei Shiraki
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Correspondence to Yukiko Senga.

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Senga, Y., Kobayashi, W., Mikawa, K. et al. Influences of green macroalgae blooms on nutrients and sulfide dynamics in hypereutrophic intertidal ecosystems. Limnology 22, 187–196 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-020-00644-w

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