English
 
Help Privacy Policy Disclaimer
  Advanced SearchBrowse

Item

ITEM ACTIONSEXPORT

Released

Journal Article

The drivers of biogeochemistry in beach ecosystems: A cross-shore transect from the dunes to the low-water line

MPS-Authors
/persons/resource/persons210321

Cypionka,  Heribert
ICBM MPI Bridging Group for Marine Geochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210334

Dittmar,  Thorsten
Marine Geochemistry Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210357

Engelen,  Bert
Marine Geochemistry Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210462

Holtappels,  Moritz
Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210556

Kuypers,  Marcel M. M.
Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210637

Niggemann,  Jutta
Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210653

Paffrath,  Ronja
Max Planck Research Group Marine Isotope Geochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210654

Pahnke,  Katharina
Max Planck Research Group Marine Isotope Geochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons210830

Vandieken,  Verona
Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Society;

External Resource
No external resources are shared
Fulltext (restricted access)
There are currently no full texts shared for your IP range.
Fulltext (public)
There are no public fulltexts stored in PuRe
Supplementary Material (public)
There is no public supplementary material available
Citation

Beck, M., Reckhardt, A., Amelsberg, J., Bartholoma, A., Brumsack, H.-J., Cypionka, H., et al. (2017). The drivers of biogeochemistry in beach ecosystems: A cross-shore transect from the dunes to the low-water line. MARINE CHEMISTRY, 190, 35-50. doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2017.01.001.


Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0001-C1E3-4
Abstract
This study addresses key processes in high-energy beach systems using an interdisciplinary approach. We assess spatial variations in subsurface pore water residence times, salinity, organic matter (OM) availability, and redox conditions and their effects on nutrient cycles as well as on microbial community patterns and microphytobenthos growth. At the study site on Spiekeroog Island, southern North Sea, beach hydrology is characterized by the classical zonation with an upper saline plume (USP), a saltwater wedge, and a freshwater discharge tube in between. Sediment and pore water samples were taken along a cross-shore transect from the dunes to the low-water line reaching sediment depths down to 5 m below sediment surface. Spatial variations in pore water residence time, salinity, and organic matter availability lead to steep redox and nutrient gradients. Vertical and horizontal differences in the microbial community indicate the influence of these gradients and salinity on the community structure. Modeled seawater flux through the USP and freshwater flux through the tube are on average 2.8 and 0.75 m(3) per day and meter of shoreline, respectively. Furthermore, ridge sediments at the lower beach discharge seawater at rates of 0.5 and 1.0 m(3) per day and meter of shoreline towards the runnel and seaside, respectively. Applying seawater and freshwater fluxes and representative nutrient concentrations for the discharge zones, nutrient fluxes to adjacent nearshore waters are 117 mmol NI4+, 55 mmol PO43- and 575 mmol Si(OH)(4) per day and meter of shoreline. We propose that this nutrient efflux triggers growth of microphytobenthos on sediment surfaces of the discharge zone. A first comparison of nutrient discharge rates of the beach site with a nearby sandy backbarrier tidal flat margin indicates that the beach system might be of less importance in supplying recycled nutrients to nearshore waters than the backbarrier tidal flat area. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.