Benthic primary production, respiration and remineralisation: in situ measurements in the soft-bottom Abra alba community of the western English Channel (North Brittany)
Migné, A.; Davoult, D.; Bourrand, J.J.; Boucher, G. (2005). Benthic primary production, respiration and remineralisation: in situ measurements in the soft-bottom Abra alba community of the western English Channel (North Brittany). J. Sea Res. 53(4): 223-229. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2004.12.002
In: Journal of Sea Research. Elsevier/Netherlands Institute for Sea Research: Amsterdam; Den Burg. ISSN 1385-1101; e-ISSN 1873-1414, more
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| Keywords |
Aquatic communities > Benthos
Biological production > Primary production
Chemical compounds > Nitrogen compounds > Ammonia
Interfaces > Sediment-water interface
Abra alba (W. Wood, 1802) [WoRMS]
ANE, English Channel [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
sediment-water interface; carbon dioxide exchange; ammonia; benthic;respiration rates; primary production; English Channel |
| Authors | | Top |
- Migné, A.
- Davoult, D., more
- Bourrand, J.J.
- Boucher, G., more
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| Abstract |
In situ measurements of ammonium and carbon dioxide fluxes were performed using benthic chambers at the end of spring and the end of summer in two soft-bottom Abra alba communities of the western English Channel (North Brittany): the muddy sand community (5 m, about 10% of surface irradiance) and the fine-sand community (19 m, about 1% of surface irradiance). High rates of ammonium regeneration were measured in the two communities at the end of summer (296.03 ± 40.07 and 201.7 ± 62.74 μmolN m−2 h−1, respectively) as well as high respiration rates (2.60 ± 0.94 and 2.23 ± 0.59 mmolC m−2 h−1, respectively). Significant benthic gross primary production (up to 6.11 mmolC m−2 h−1) was measured in the muddy sand community but no benthic primary production was measured in the fine-sand community. It suggests that microphytobenthic production values used in simulations previously published for these two communities were overestimated while values of community respiration were underestimated. The study confirms that this benthic system is heterotrophic and strengthens the idea that an important pelagic-benthic coupling is required for the functioning in such coastal ecosystems. |
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