Abstract
Bioturbation, the biogenic particle and fluid transport in sediments, is generally thought to be important in the context of matter fluxes and therefore ecosystem functions. This chapter summarizes current knowledge on bioturbation in the Southern Baltic Sea, including locally very high solute exchange. An extended study based on chlorophyll as particle tracer indicates geographic differences in functional groups of particle reworking benthic infauna. This might enhance transient retention of organic matter in shallow water sediments of slope regions. Reworking also shows high local variability and surprisingly uniform overall rates throughout the region. The text states a lack of understanding as to how indices of bioturbation (BPC, BIP) reflect actual mechanistic functioning of animal-sediment-interactions. While displaying similar rates, bioturbation likely supports the integrity of processes occurring at and across the sediment-water interface.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aller RC, Cochran JK (2019) The critical role of bioturbation for particle dynamics, priming potential and organic C remineralization in marine sediments: local and basin scales. Front Earth Sci 7:157. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00157
Gogina M, Lipka M, Woelfel J, Liu B, Morys C, Böttcher ME, Zettler ML (2018) In search of a field-based relationship between benthic macrofauna and biogeochemistry in a modern brackish coastal sea. Front Mar Sci 5:489. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00489
Gogina M, Zettler ML, Vanaverbeke J et al (2020) Interregional comparison of benthic ecosystem functioning: community bioturbation potential in four regions along the NE Atlantic shelf. Ecol Indic 110:105945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105945
Lipka M, Woelfel J, Gogina M, Kallmeyer J, Liu B, Morys C, Forster S, Böttcher ME (2018) Solute reservoirs reflect variability of early diagenetic processes in temperate brackish surface sediments. Front Mar Sci 5:413. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00413
Morys C, Forster S, Graf G (2016) Variability of bioturbation in various sediment types and on different spatial scales in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 557:31–49. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11837
Morys C, Powilleit M, Forster S (2017) Bioturbation in relation to the depth distribution of macrozoobenthos in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 579:19–36. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12236
Powilleit M, Forster S (2018) Continuous and high transport of particles and solutes by benthos in coastal eutrophic sediments of the Pomeranian Bay. Front Mar Sci 5:472. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00472
Radtke H, Lipka M, Bunke D, Morys C, Woelfel J, Cahill B, Böttcher ME, Forster S, Leipe T, Rehder G, Neumann T (2019) Ecological ReGional Ocean Model with vertically resolved sediments (ERGOM SED 1.0): coupling benthic and pelagic biogeochemistry of the south-western Baltic Sea. Geosci Model Dev 12:275–320. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-275-2019
Renz J, Forster S (2014) Effects of bioirrigation by the three sibling species of Marenzelleria spp. on solute fluxes and porewater nutrient profiles. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 505:145–159. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10756
Renz JR, Powilleit M, Gogina M, Zettler ML, Morys C, Forster S (2018) Community bioirrigation potential (BIPc), an index to quantify the potential for solute exchange at the sediment-water interface. Mar Environ Res 141:214–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.013
Solan M, Ward ER, White EL, Hibberd EE, Cassidy C, Schuster JM, Hale R, Godbold JA (2019) Worldwide measurements of bioturbation intensity, ventilation rate, and the mixing depth of marine sediments. Sci Data 6:58. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0069-7
Teal LR, Bulling MT, Parker ER, Solan M (2008) Global patterns of bioturbation intensity and the mixed depth of marine soft sediments. Aquat Biol 2:207–218. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00052
Teal LR, Parker ER, Solan M (2010) Sediment mixed layer as a proxy for benthic ecosystem process and function. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 414:27–40. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08736
Zhang W, Wirtz K, Daewel U, Wrede A, Kröncke I, Kuhn G, Neumann A, Meyer J, Ma M, Schrum C (2019) The budget of macrobenthic reworked organic carbon: a modeling case study of the North Sea. J Geophys Res Biogeo 124:1446–1471. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005109
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Forster, S., Morys, C., Powilleit, M. (2023). Patterns of Bioturbation and Associated Matter Fluxes. In: Schubert, H., Müller, F. (eds) Southern Baltic Coastal Systems Analysis. Ecological Studies, vol 246. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13682-5_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13682-5_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-13681-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-13682-5
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)