deposit-feeding sea cucumbers enhance mineralization and nutrient cycling in organically-enriched coastal sedimentsdeposit-feeding海参加强矿化和养分循环organically-enriched沿海沉积物.pdfVIP

Deposit-Feeding Sea Cucumbers Enhance Mineralization and Nutrient Cycling in Organically-Enriched Coastal Sediments 1 2 3 1 Thomas MacTavish , Jeanie Stenton-Dozey , Kay Vopel , Candida Savage * 1 Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 2 National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand, 3 School of Applied Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand Abstract Background: Bioturbators affect multiple biogeochemical interactions and have been suggested as suitable candidates to mitigate organic matter loading in marine sediments. However, predicting the effects of bioturbators at an ecosystem level can be difficult due to their complex positive and negative interactions with the microbial community. Methodology/Principal Findings: We quantified the effects of deposit-feeding sea cucumbers on benthic algal biomass (microphytobenthos, MPB), bacterial abundance, and the sediment–seawater exchange of dissolved oxygen and nutrients. The sea cucumbers increased the efflux of inorganic nitrogen (ammonium, NH4+) from organically enriched sediments, which stimulated algal productivity. Grazing by the sea cucumbers on MPB (evidenced by pheopigments), however, caused a net negative effect on primary producer biomass and total oxygen production. Further, there was an increased abundance of bacteria in sediment with sea cucumbers, suggesting facilitation. The sea cucumbers increased the ratio of oxygen consumption to production in surface sediment by shifting the microbial balance from producers to decomposers. This shift explains the increased efflux of inorganic nitrogen and concordant reduction in organic matter content in sediment with bioturbat