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Seasonal variations of water column nutrients in the inner area of Ariake Bay, Japan: the role of muddy sediments

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Abstract

To investigate seasonal variations of nutrient distribution in the mudflat–shallow water system, we conducted field surveys once a month from August 2007 to July 2008 in the inner area of Ariake Bay (IAB), Japan. The NH4 +–N concentration of the water column increased in autumn because of the high NH4 + release from the sediments, ranging from 850 to 3,001 μmol m−2 day−1. The NO3 −–N concentration was maximal in January, which was thought to be caused by NO3 − release from the oxic sediments and by NO3 − regeneration due to water column nitrification. The PO4 3−–P concentration of the water column was high in summer–autumn due to the high PO4 3− release from the reduced sediments, ranging from 22 to 164 μmol m−2 day−1. We estimated the total amounts of DIN and PO4 3−–P release (R DIN and \( {R_{{\mathrm{P}{{\mathrm{O}}_4}}}} \), respectively) from the muddy sediment area of the IAB. In summer–autumn, R DIN and \( {R_{{\mathrm{P}{{\mathrm{O}}_4}}}} \) corresponded to about 47.7 % of DIN input and about 116.6 % of PO4 3−–P input from the river, respectively. Thus, we concluded that the muddy sediments were an important source of nutrients for the water column of the IAB during summer–autumn. In addition, we found that phosphorus necessary for the growth of Porphyra (Porphyra yezoensis, Rhodophyceae) would be insufficient in the water column when phosphorus during the Porphyra aquaculture period is supplied only from the river. Therefore, the phosphorus release from the muddy sediments was thought to play an important role in the sustainable production of Porphyra in Ariake Bay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, 1 Honjo-machi, Saga, 840-8502, Japan

    Masumi Koriyama

  2. Institute of Lowland and Marine Research, Saga University, 1 Honjo-machi, Saga, 840-8502, Japan

    Yuichi Hayami, Takaharu Hamada, Kenji Yoshino & Toshiya Katano

  3. Marine Biological Research Institute of Japan Co., Ltd., 1-7-7 Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 141-0033, Japan

    Akane Koga

  4. Faculty of Engineering, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, 753-8511, Japan

    Koichi Yamamoto

  5. Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University, Jl. Flora, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

    Alim Isnasetyo

  6. Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Soichi Yamaguchi

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  1. Masumi Koriyama
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  2. Yuichi Hayami
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  3. Akane Koga
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  4. Koichi Yamamoto
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  6. Takaharu Hamada
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  7. Kenji Yoshino
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  9. Soichi Yamaguchi
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Correspondence to Masumi Koriyama.

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Koriyama, M., Hayami, Y., Koga, A. et al. Seasonal variations of water column nutrients in the inner area of Ariake Bay, Japan: the role of muddy sediments. Environ Monit Assess 185, 6831–6846 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3068-8

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