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The interactions between living organisms and metals in intertidal and subtidal sediments

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Metal Metabolism in Aquatic Environments

Abstract

Although it may not be readily apparent to the casual observer, intertidal and subtidal sediments are highly structured chemical environments. In the absence of physical disturbances, the chemical structure is simple and consists of layers of gradually changing composition parallel to the sediment—water interface. Benthic animals and rooted plants disrupt this simple structure by burrowing into the sediment or by growing roots. This affects the rates of transport of gases, solutes and particulate matter within the sediment and between the sediment and the overlying water.

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Authors
  1. Carlos Vale
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  2. Bjorn Sundby
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Centre for Coastal and Marine Sciences, Plymouth, UK

    William J. Langston

  2. Department of Science and Technology of Aquatic Resources, University of the Algarve, Portugal

    Maria João Bebianno

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Vale, C., Sundby, B. (1998). The interactions between living organisms and metals in intertidal and subtidal sediments. In: Langston, W.J., Bebianno, M.J. (eds) Metal Metabolism in Aquatic Environments. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2761-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2761-6_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-4731-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-2761-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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