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Deep pore water profiles reflect enhanced microbial activity towards tidal flat margins

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Abstract

Microbial activity in permeable tidal flat margin sediments is enhanced by two main processes. First, organic matter is supplied by rapid sedimentation at prograding tidal flat margins. Second, surface and deep pore water advection lead to a replenishment of the dissolved organic matter and sulfate pools. Increasing microbial activity towards the low water line is reflected in sulfate and methane profiles as well as in total cell numbers, sulfate reduction rates, and remineralization products. The impact of high sedimentation rates on pore water biogeochemistry is confirmed by inverse modeling reproducing the depth profiles obtained by measurements. In central parts of the tidal flats, low sedimentation rates and pore water flow velocities limit microbial activity despite the high availability of electron acceptors for microbial respiration such as sulfate. Therefore, tidal flat margins with high microbial activity are of special importance for budgeting biogeochemical cycling in tidal flat areas.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the captains and the crews of RV Senckenberg and the tjalk Spes Mea for support during sampling campaigns. Furthermore, we wish to thank H. Nicolai and his colleagues for their assistance during sediment coring and construction of pore water samplers. A. Bartholomä, M. Groh, Y. Hilker, S. Kleindienst, C. Lehners, R. Neumann, S. Reischke, M. Pilzen, and M. Wilsenack are thanked for their assistance during sampling and experimental work. This work was financially supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the research group “BioGeoChemistry of Tidal Flats”.

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Author notes

  1. Jan M. Holstein & Kai Wirtz

    Present address: GKSS Research Center, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21501, Geesthacht, Germany

  2. Antje Gittel

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, Bdg. 1540, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany

    Melanie Beck, Jürgen Köster, Bert Engelen, Jan M. Holstein, Antje Gittel, Martin Könneke, Thomas Riedel, Kai Wirtz, Heribert Cypionka, Jürgen Rullkötter & Hans-Jürgen Brumsack

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  1. Melanie Beck
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Correspondence to Melanie Beck.

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Beck, M., Köster, J., Engelen, B. et al. Deep pore water profiles reflect enhanced microbial activity towards tidal flat margins. Ocean Dynamics 59, 371–383 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-008-0176-z

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