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The Effect of Bioturbation Activity of the Ark Clam Scapharca subcrenata on the Fluxes of Nutrient Exchange at the Sediment-Water Interface

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Abstract

Filter-feeding shellfish are common benthos and significantly affect the biogeochemical cycle in the shallow coastal ecosystems. Ark clam Scapharca subcrenata is one of the widely cultured bivalve species in many coastal areas owing to its tremendous economic value. However, there is little information regarding the effects of the bioturbation of S. subcrenata on the fluxes of nutrient exchange in the sediment-water interface (SWI). In this regard, S subcrenata was sampled during October 2016 to determine the effects of its bioturbation activity on the nutrient exchange flux of the SWI. The results showed that the biological activity of S. subcrenata could increase the diffusion depth and the rate of the nutrients exchange in the sediments. The bioturbation of S. subcrenata could allow the nutrients to permeate into the surface sediments at 6−10 cm and increase the release rate of nutrients at the SWI. The releasing fluxes of DIN and PO43−-P in the culture area were found to be around three times higher than that in the non-cultured region. The culture of S subcrenata has been proved to be an important contributor to nutrient exchange across the SWI in the farming area of Haizhou Bay. Nutrients exchange in the SWI contributes a part of 86% DIN, 71% PO43−-P and 18% SiO32−-Si for the aquaculture farm.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by the Young Orient Scholars Programme of Shanghai, the Doctoral Scientific Research Starting Foundation of Shanghai Ocean University, the Shanghai Special Research Fund for Training College’s Young Teachers, the Fund for Ministry of Agriculture Readjusting the Industrial Structure: Sea Farming Demonstration Project of Haizhou Bay in Jiangsu Province (Nos. D-8006-12-0018, D8006-15-8014), the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest (No. 201303047). The authors would like to thank the Lianyungang City Oceanic and Fishery Administration for assisting with sample collection in Haizhou Bay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Shuo Zhang, Xin Fang & Junbo Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory of Sustainable Exploitation of Oceanic Fisheries Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Shuo Zhang

  3. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China

    Junbo Zhang

  4. National Engineering Research Center for Oceanic Fisheries, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Junbo Zhang

  5. College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Fang Yin

  6. Maine Fisheries Research Institution of Jiangsu, Nantong, 226000, China

    Hu Zhang

  7. Lianyungang City Oceanic and Fishery Administration, Lianyungang, 222002, China

    Lizhen Wu

  8. Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Japan

    Daisuke Kitazawa

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  1. Shuo Zhang
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  2. Xin Fang
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  3. Junbo Zhang
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  4. Fang Yin
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  5. Hu Zhang
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Correspondence to Junbo Zhang.

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Zhang, S., Fang, X., Zhang, J. et al. The Effect of Bioturbation Activity of the Ark Clam Scapharca subcrenata on the Fluxes of Nutrient Exchange at the Sediment-Water Interface. J. Ocean Univ. China 19, 232–240 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-020-4112-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-020-4112-2

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