Oxygen penetration through invertebrate burrow walls in Korean tidal flat

Macrofaunal burrows increase the surface area of the sediment-water interface, which has a great impact on the metabolism of aerobic microbes and the oscillation of reduced metabolites within the sediment. Given the importance of macrofauna in surficial sediments, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of burrow architectures on dissolved oxygen diffusion rates in comparison with unburrowed sediment, and thereby to evaluate the theoretical assumption used for modeling solute distribution in the burrow system using field samples. Employing microsensors, horizontal oxygen profiles were measured on a micrometer scale around burrows of seven invertebrates in tidal flats of the west coast of Korea. Oxygen diffusion distance through the burrow walls of seven invertebrates showed spatio-temporal variation with a range of 0.6 to 2.9 mm. Two groups of burrows were identified based on their oxygen diffusive properties relative to unburrowed sediments: 1) oxygen penetration similar to that of ambient sediments and 2) clearly enhanced oxygen penetration. Differences in the diffusive properties of the burrow wall were related to the burrow depth and diameter, existence of mucus lining on the wall, sediment grain size, and tidal phases. Also inhabitant activity was an important factor affecting oxygen penetration, which is discussed in the paper. These results further demonstrate that simplified assumptions (i.e. burrow structures are viewed as direct biogeochemical extensions of the sediment-water interface) may not be exact representation of the nature.     

The tidal flushing of multiple-loop animal burrows

Tidal flushing of animal burrows in mangrove swamps provides an effective and important mechanism for transport of salt and other soluble substances. The burrows have complex morphologies consisting of multiple loops. Using established computational modelling techniques, burrow geometries were simulated from characteristic burrow dimensions and the effect of multiple loops on flushing is studied. The computational models show that flushing is enhanced in multiple-loop burrows as upper loops can be completely evacuated, increasing the volume of burrow water removed. The models indicate that there may be a depth limit to which flushing occurs in complex burrow structures. Periscope loops extend further than one characteristic loop depth and are shown to affect the flushing of burrows if the surface-water plume penetrates to their lower depth. Periscope loops with surface openings on the downstream side of the burrow, relative to the tidal inundation, most frequently experience this condition and thus have a great impact on burrow flushing. Field measurements of salinity agree with the hypothesis that there is a depth limit of flushing for complex burrows that is independent of burrow salinity, and suggest a value of 30–35 cm. The measurements also support the suggestion that significant flushing of burrows occurs within a single tidal event. An experiment considered the movement of animals across the interface created by low-salinity surface water and high-salinity burrow water after a partial flushing event. The motion enhances the effective diffusion coefficient of salt by a factor of at least 10², as compared with free diffusion of salt in water, resulting in a more even distribution of dissolved salt in the burrow water between tidal inundations. This distribution may lead to an increase in the depth to which flushing occurs during subsequent inundations.     

The Biology of Upogebia pusilla (Petagna) (Decapoda, Thalassinidea) I. The Burrows

Abstract. The biology of the thalassinidean shrimp Upogebia pusilla was studied on a tidal flat in the Lagoon of Grado (Northern Adriatic). Burrows were investigated using in situ resin casting and with additional in situ and laboratory observations. Burrows show a basic pattern consisting of a U or a double U with turning chambers and a vertical shaft. Mean burrow diameter depends on animal size, it is smaller than the rigid carapace of the animal. Dimensions, distance between openings, depth of U, total depth, volume and surface are size dependent. The burrow wall is smooth and oxidized. Burrows are always inhabited by a single shrimp. Although they overlap, they are never interconnected. They are mainly constructed by compression of the sediment and are relatively permanent structures. A comparison of the burrows of Thalassinidea with regard to shape, number and appearance of openings, dimensions, properties of the burrow wall and dynamics is given.     

米草属植物Spartina angilica和Spartina alterniflora引种后江苏海岸湿地生态演化的初步探讨

选取江苏王港潮滩的盐蒿滩、大米草滩及互花米草滩,分析这三类滩面的地面以上生物量、初级生产力、动物洞穴参数和沉积物粒度,探讨大米草和互花米草引种区的湿地生态系统相对于盐蒿滩的变化.分析结果表明,互花米草滩的生物量远大于盐蒿滩和大米草滩;单位面积上动物洞穴数量相近,但洞穴大小有一定差异,互花米草滩动物洞穴稍大,数量也相对较多,这可能与初级生产力的提高有关.表层底质的粒径以互花米草滩为最细,盐蒿滩最粗,这种分布状况与互花米草引种前不同,说明互花米草促进了细颗粒物质的堆积.互花米草的引种在江苏海岸具有促淤和提高初级生产力的作用,而它对湿地生态系统的结构和功能的影响需要进一步研究.     

Distribution of trace elements in Callichirus laurae burrows and nearby sediments in the gulf of Aqaba, Jordan (Red Sea)

In nearshore waters of the Jordanian sector of the Gulf of Aqaba, the distributions of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, as well as Ca and Mg, were determined in the mucus-rich burrow lining made by the locally abundant Crustacea Callichirus laurae (Thalassinidea: Callianassideae), and compared with concentrations obtained in surface sediments surrounding the burrows. The highest concentrations of trace elements were observed in a sewage affected area. At uncontaminated stations, a marked increase from surface sand values was observed in the burrow lining. The correlations between the concentration of trace elements in this biogenic micro-environment and both the concentration of organic carbon and the mean granulometric diameter were highly significant.This study shows that the C. laurae burrow acts as a chemical reservoir that may reach several meters deep into the sediment. This special reservoir is created as an indirect consequence of the building of a mucus-rich, metal-reacting lining. It is demonstrated that the absolute quantity of trace elements incorporated in the lining is much higher (c. 85 to 250 times more, depending on the element) than in the dense and healthy Halophila stipulacea seagrass bed covering the surface.The environmental significance of large lined burrows for the distribution of trace elements is discussed.     

The role of crabs (Macrophthalmus japonicus) burrows on organic carbon cycle in estuarine tidal flat,Japan

The objective of this study is to elucidate the burrow structure and to clarify the role of burrows in material cycle in the tidal flat. In our work, we focused on the dominant species in muddy tidal flat, crab Macrophthalmus japonicus.Burrow structure of Macrophthalmus japonicus was investigated on a Katsuura river tidal flat in Tokushima prefecture, Japan, using in situ resin casting. Sampling was conducted in August 2006, and a total of 48 burrow casts were obtained. Burrows consisted mainly of J-shaped structures (98%) while the rest belonged to U-shaped structures (2%). The maximum measured burrow volume was 120 cm³ and wall surface area was 224 cm², while maximum burrow length and depth were 23.2 cm and 16.5 cm, respectively. Burrow volume and surface area were strongly correlated with carapace width of M. japonicus. Investigation of the individual number of M. japonicus in 13 quadrats (50 × 50 × 20 cm) was conducted using 2 mm sieve. The number of M. japonicus was 15–31 ind./m². Using cohort analysis we estimated that surface area of burrows was 0.07–0.15 m²/m².CO₂ emission rate was measured at the surface sediment during the period from June to December 2008. Results varied from 13.8 ± 2.2 to 49.4 ± 3.2 mg CO₂/m²/h, and organic carbon decomposition was 3.8 ± 0.6–13.5 ± 0.9 mg C/m²/h. This leads the increase of organic carbon decomposition by 1.1 times, because of the expansion of the tidal flat surface area by burrowing activity. Organic carbon decomposition in burrow walls therefore contributed to organic matter decomposition in the tidal flat. These results indicated that in situ activities of Macrophthalmus japonicus significantly influence the material cycle and it is important to consider the existence of burrow in order to understand the fluxes of materials and to evaluate the purification function of the tidal flat.     

Effect of environmental conditions on variation in the sediment-water interface created by complex macrofaunal burrows on a tidal flat

We quantified the increase in the sediment-water interface created by the burrowing activities of the resident macrofaunal community and its variation with respect to the physical conditions of the habitat on a tidal fat. We investigated environmental factors and dimensions of macrofaunal burrows with respect to tidal height and vegetation during spring and summer at three sites. A resin-casting method was used to quantify the dimensions of all burrows at each site. The dimensions of macrofaunal burrows varied both temporally and spatially and the increase in the sediment-water interface reached a maximum of 311%, ranging from 20 to 255% under different habitat conditions. The sediment-water interface depended on the duration of exposure resulting from tidal height, increased temperatures resulting from seasonality, and marsh plant density. Burrows were deeper and more expansive at both higher tidal levels and higher temperatures in summer. Burrow dimensions were sharply reduced with the disappearance of adult macrofauna in areas where the roots of the marsh plant Suaeda japonica were dense. The significance of this study lies in quantifying the burrow dimensions of the entire macrofaunal community, rather than just a single population, and confirming their spatial and temporal variation with respect to physical conditions of the habitat. Environmental factors responsible for variation in burrow dimensions are discussed.     

Methods for monitoring tidal flushing in large animal burrows in tropical mangrove swamps

The typically anaerobic nature of mangrove sediments provides significant challenges to the mangrove trees and biota inhabiting them. The burrowing activities and flow of water through the numerous and complex animal burrows perforating the sediments of mangroves have a major influence on the biogeochemistry of the sediments and are important to the enhancement of nutrient and oxygen exchange. Two new methods are presented for monitoring the tidal flushing of Sesarma messa and Alpheus cf macklay burrows in a Rhizophora stylosa mangrove forest – by measuring oxygen content of burrow water and by determining the change in fluorescence of a dye tracer through tidal inundation. A case study using the first of these showed oxygen consumption rates at the burrow wall deep within the burrow were found to be between 210 and 460 μmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹. The influx of oxygen during a flood tide was found to be significant and indicated that approximately 40% of the burrow water is flushed during a single tidal event. However, the high consumption rate of oxygen within the burrow resulted in the oxygen concentration remaining at or below one-third of the oxygen content of the flooding tidal water. A test application of the second method, using rhodamine dye as a tracer, indicated that the exchange of water between the burrow and the flooding tide was found to be in the order of 30% of the burrow volume. These new techniques provide a means to further study the nutrient exchange within these burrow systems and verify the initial findings that several tidal inundations are necessary to completely flush the burrows.     

Observations on the Burrows and Burrowing Behaviour of the Red Band-Fish, Cepola rubescens L.

Abstract. The red band-fish, Cepola rubescens L., lives in burrows in sublittoral muddy sediments. The authors first presented information on the burrows of this species in the 1970s. The present paper presents new information on burrow structure, describes the method of excavation, and comments on the bioturbatory significance of the species. The work derives from field and laboratory studies. A burrow typically consists of a vertical shaft which opens into an expanded terminal chamber. In some cases a side shaft may be added. The paper includes a size analysis of 130 burrows measured in the field and detailed morphological information from a selection of burrows which were cast with polyester resin. The fish burrows are frequently intersected by the burrows of other species and interspecific associations may develop. Burrow size reflects the size of the occupant and may approach 1 m in depth. The biogenic movement of water and particles to this depth is often overlooked in bioturbation studies and is discussed. Burrow distribution is aggregate, which has implications for the bioturbatory impact of the species. Burrows are constructed by mouth excavation and this is described in detail. Fish transport fine material within their mouths and coarse material is grasped in the jaws. Large spoil heaps occur at burrow openings. One obvious effect of this bioturbatory activity at the field site was the redistribution of coarse material (shell gravel) from depth to the sediment surface.     

Effect of environmental conditions on variation in the sediment-water interface created by complex macrofaunal burrows on a tidal flat

We quantified the increase in the sediment-water interface created by the burrowing activities of the resident macrofaunal community and its variation with respect to the physical conditions of the habitat on a tidal fat. We investigated environmental factors and dimensions of macrofaunal burrows with respect to tidal height and vegetation during spring and summer at three sites. A resin-casting method was used to quantify the dimensions of all burrows at each site. The dimensions of macrofaunal burrows varied both temporally and spatially and the increase in the sediment-water interface reached a maximum of 311%, ranging from 20 to 255% under different habitat conditions. The sediment-water interface depended on the duration of exposure resulting from tidal height, increased temperatures resulting from seasonality, and marsh plant density. Burrows were deeper and more expansive at both higher tidal levels and higher temperatures in summer. Burrow dimensions were sharply reduced with the disappearance of adult macrofauna in areas where the roots of the marsh plant Suaeda japonica were dense. The significance of this study lies in quantifying the burrow dimensions of the entire macrofaunal community, rather than just a single population, and confirming their spatial and temporal variation with respect to physical conditions of the habitat. Environmental factors responsible for variation in burrow dimensions are discussed.     

Evidence of bioturbation in the Cap-Ferret Canyon in the deep northeastern Atlantic

In the sedimentary column, a combined quantification of burrows and macrobenthic community provides evidence of bioturbation features in the submarine canyon of Cap-Ferret between 2000 and 3000 m depth. An image-processing technique allows accurate quantification of burrow volumes with depth in the sedimentary column. The major bioturbation mode seems to be different in the channel compared to the interfluve. Macrobenthic activity is more inclined to mix the sediment in the channel in response to increased organic matter supplies. Sediment mixing leads to burrow destruction in the upper mixed layer of sediment in the canyon. Burrows are better preserved on the interfluve where mixing is slower. Under the mixed zone, the volume of recorded burrows is higher when sedimentation rate increases, as in the upper canyon. In this transition layer, the burrow volume is estimated to be between 3 and 64% of the total sediment volume depending on the sediment depth. The fill-down of numerous burrows with surface sediment by bioregeneration suggests that anaerobic degradation of fresh organic matter is dominant in this canyon. In the sedimentary column, the negative relationship between carbonate content and macrobenthic abundance confirms that carbonate dissolution is largely influenced by bioturbation.     

Novel mechanism of stream formation in coastal wetlands by crab–fish–groundwater interaction

A novel mechanism of stream development in coastal wetlands was observed in the form of interaction between the burrowing crab (Chasmagnathus granulata) and groundwater seepage. This process may eventually be further promoted by the predatory action of the white croaker fish (Micropogon opercularis). These so-called crab streams occur on the banks of major tidal channels in a salt marsh of the Bahía Blanca Estuary (Argentina). As the tide recedes, water is retained in the crab burrows on the marsh surface. The presence of lateral burrows produced by crab recruits promotes subterranean piping flow driven by the hydraulic head in the vertical burrow. Groundwater generally seeps along the tidal channel banks but is particularly prominent and concentrated where crab burrows perforate the banks. Where predatory attacks by the croaker fish enlarge the burrow mouths, the drainage rills become wider and deeper because more seeping water is collected in the shallow crater from where it is funnelled into the developing streams. The crab stream is then produced by water draining from the crab burrow mouth, acting initially by cut-back erosion and followed by forward erosion of the relatively unconsolidated muddy sediments.     

Infaunal burrow ventilation and pore-water transport in muddy sediments

The ventilation of burrows by tube-dwelling benthos is understood to be important in determining rates of exchange of solutes between the sediment and overlying water. However, few models have attempted to link the burrow ventilation behavior of tube-dwelling organisms with their geochemical consequences. The classic cylinder model of bioirrigation in muddy sediments (Aller, R.C., 1980. Quantifying solute distributions in the bioturbated zone of marine sediments by defining an average microenvironment. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 44, 1955–1965) links pore-water processes and burrow sizes and distributions in the sediment by assuming that burrows are fully flushed. The equivalence between the cylinder model and the more commonly used one-dimensional non-local exchange model depends upon this assumption. However, this assumption has seldom been tested in the field. We have extended the cylinder model of bioirrigation to include burrow ventilation activities of organisms. Burrow ventilation is modeled as a simple non-local exchange of burrow water with overlying water. Model simulations indicate that burrow ventilation has a large effect on vertical profiles and fluxes of solute tracers. We collected data on burrow geometry in the field by CT-scanning freshly collected sediment cores. At the same study sites, we measured activity profiles of ²²²Rn, a naturally occurring radionuclide tracer of pore-water transport. With model geometry independently constrained, we tested the model by comparing our model-predicted profiles with measured profiles. Our results demonstrate that burrows in the field are not fully flushed. Our estimated burrow ventilation rates compare favorably with previous laboratory measurements. The inclusion of realistic burrow ventilation in this pore-water transport model strongly affects modeled solute profiles and fluxes. We demonstrate how model parameters can be determined from field samples and present a model that more realistically simulates pore-water transport processes in muddy sediments.     

Burrow Structure and Burrowing Activity of the Funnel-feeding Enteropneust Balanoglossus aurantiacus in Bogue Sound, North Carolina, USA

Abstract. This study of the enteropneust, Balanoglossus aurantiacus , in Bogue Sound, NC, provides information on the general structure and variability in geometry of its burrow, B. aurantiacus employs a funnel at the anterior end of its burrow to cave in surface sediments. It ingests, processes, then deposits these sediments back on the surface as fecal castings. Measurements made on resin casts of burrows and on photographs of surface features (burrow openings and funnels) revealed a new and consistent pattern of burrow construction. This pattern distinguishes B. aurantiacus burrows from those reported for other funnel feeders and enteropneusts (except, perhaps, for B. clavigerus). Laboratory and field observations revealed that, within its burrow, B. aurantiacus is elongated, can double-back on itself, and can use anterior burrow openings for subsequent fecal castings. Tests for significant changes in location of surface features gave estimates of how frequently individuals in aquaria and field populations abandon old burrow locations and construct new burrows. Field observations showed that B. aurantiacus will reopen a blocked burrow opening.     

台风作用下的港湾型潮滩沉积过程 以2008年“凤凰”台风对福建省罗源湾的影响为例

通过对"凤凰"台风的现场观测和沉积物样品的分析,结果表明,在台风影响下潮水淹没时间增长,增水达1.1 m;台风期间互花米草盐沼内流速变化较复杂,而且盐沼内部流速大于盐沼边缘的;台风期间盐沼边缘潮周期平均悬沙含量是台风前2 d的7倍;台风期间十分之一波高最大为1.54 m。滩面重复测量结果显示,台风登陆期间整个光滩滩面都发生了侵蚀,盐沼内部有部分地区发生侵蚀,侵蚀深度为4.5~5.5 cm,盐沼边缘的侵蚀深度仅为0.7 cm,侵蚀原因主要是植被在风浪作用下从根部折断,从而带走了滩面的沉积物;随着台风强度的减弱,整个滩面均接受悬沙沉降;台风带来的强降雨是影响滩面沉积物活动的重要因素。     

Seagrass as the main food source of Neaxius acanthus (Thalassinidea: Strahlaxiidae), its burrow associates, and of Corallianassa coutierei (Thalassinidea: Callianassidae)

Burrows of the thalassinidean shrimps Neaxius acanthus and Corallianassa coutierei are striking aspects in tropical seagrass beds of the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Burrow construction, behaviour, burrow type and associated commensal community were investigated to clarify the ecological role and food requirements of these shrimps and their commensals. Gut content analysis and stable-isotope data were used to unravel the food sources and the trophic interactions among the commensal community.Individuals of Neaxius acanthus were caught on Bone Batang Island. In narrow aquaria filled with sediment they constructed burrows resembling those found in the field. During burrow construction and maintenance only little sediment was brought to the surface, most was sorted and compacted to create a distinct lining. Maintenance work by single shrimps typically took about 5 min, after which the shrimp walked up to the entrance and rested for a similar period of time. There were no differences in behaviour between day and night. Intrasexual encounters inside the burrow were characterised by a high level of aggression and all resulted in one participant being driven out of the burrow. Intersexual encounters led to coexistence with both animals taking turns in burrow maintenance and guarding the entrance. Offered seagrass leaves were pulled underground, cut into pieces and eventually integrated into the lining. Burrows of Corallianassa coutierei resembled a deep U-shape. Chambers branching off halfway down and at the deepest point contained seagrass fragments. All steep parts of the burrow were lined similar to burrows of N. acanthus.No commensals were found associated with Corallianassa coutierei. However, burrows of Neaxius acanthus in the field typically contained a pair of shrimps, up to 8 individuals of the commensal bivalve Barrimysia cumingii and large numbers of gammarid amphipods. Other animals found associated with the burrow were the goby Austrolethops wardi, a palaemonid shrimp species and two species of tube-building polychaetes, one of which was also found as an epibiont on N. acanthus.Stable-isotope and gut content analyses indicate that the diet of Neaxius acanthus, its commensal Austrolethops wardi, and Corallianassa coutierei is mainly derived from detrital seagrass leaves, with a potential contribution of sediment organic matter and seagrass epiphytes. In contrast the isotopic signature of Barrimysia cumingii suggests the presence of symbiotic sulphide metabolism bacteria. This study underlines that, besides their interactions with the surrounding ecosystem, thalassinid shrimp burrows play an important role as a sub-habitat with a unique associated fauna.     

江苏海岸带盐沼潮滩在小尺度下的沉积变化过程

在小尺度范围内,潮滩沉积的研究一般都是基于几个站位或断面进行短时日的调查和监测来获取数据,或多或少地存在数据的连续性不足等问题。基于此,本文在潮滩地貌典型的江苏平原海岸选取了约160 000 m²的盐沼潮滩作为研究对象,在多年的野外连续观测下,分析了人类围垦活动对盐沼潮滩沉积过程及变化的影响。结果表明：人类围垦活动（如堤坝建设等）对潮滩沉积和盐沼植被覆盖的变化有重要影响。围垦堤坝修建之前,研究区向陆一侧为盐沼植物（现为养殖池）,向海一侧为光滩,岸线形态比较平直。在2006年围垦堤坝修建后,研究区变为“凹岸”型的人工岸线,沉积环境变得更有利于泥沙的淤积。根据2007-2012年对滩面高程的野外观测,在风暴潮的影响下,潮滩最大淤积率高达23 cm/a。盐沼植被在泥沙快速淤积的基础上不断发育生长,盐沼植物覆盖面积不断扩张。同时外部的沙嘴也在不断增长,潮汐风浪侵蚀携带沙嘴外部泥沙进入盐沼滩地,盐沼植物在泥沙的覆盖下,出现萎缩退化,覆盖面积减少,但是对潮滩上的泥沙而言还是不断堆积增厚。柱状样岩芯的粒度垂向剖面特征也记录了盐沼潮滩沉积环境的变化。小尺度下盐沼潮滩沉积表现出的阶段性变化规律,揭示出合理的围垦活动有利于堤坝前的潮滩淤积和盐沼植被的扩张。     

The importance of bioturbation to continental slope sediment structure and benthic processes off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Even though the continental slope off Cape Hatteras has sediment accumulation rates on the order of 1 cm/year, large areas of soft sediment are intensively reworked by infaunal organisms. Primary sedimentary structures have been completely replaced with biogenic structures. Surface sedimentary structures are dominated by the bioturbational activities of a deep burrowing infauna (to at least 30 cm). The layer actively mixed by the benthos, as evidenced by sediment profile and X-ray images, is estimated to range from 5 to 20 cm, with the residence time for particles within the surface mixed layer ranging from about 4.5 to 18 years. The biological mixing parameter (G) ranges from 0.4 to 5.5, which indicates moderate to strong biological mixing relative to accumulation and strata formation. Bioturbation contributes to the dynamic forces affecting the surface sediments by decreasing compaction of sediment layers and dilating sediment fabrics by sediment mixing, and introducing large water-filled burrows and voids to subsurface sediments. The sediment profile images captured numerous subsurface feeding voids, and worms in the process of making deep burrows, many of which extended below the 5 to 10 cm average depth of the apparent color redoxpotential discontinuity layer. High rates of accumulation of organic-rich sediment lead to high standing stocks of benthos and intensive feeding/burrowing activity that result in organic rich stratagraphic sequences that are thoroughly mixed. Cape Hatteras is a apparent focusing point for the transport of shallow water sediments to the deep sea. Sediments across other areas of the continental slope just 100's of kilometers south of Cape Hatteras are not as thoroughly mixed or biologically active.     

The Southwest Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Neohelice granulata modifies nutrient loads of phreatic waters entering coastal area

Along the coastal areas of the Southwest Atlantic estuaries and embayments, phreatic water often circulates through very extended areas (up to several hundred meters perpendicular to the coast), dominated by dense assemblages of deep burrows of the crab Neohelice granulata (formerly Chasmagnathus granulatus). This crab inhabits the intertidal area, from mudflats to marshes vegetated by species of Spartina, Sarcocornia and Juncus, generating extensive burrowing beds where burrow density may reach up to 60 burrows m⁻². Since the lower limit of the crab burrows is usually the water table, we investigated through field experiments the effect of N. granulata and their burrows on the chemical characteristics of this phreatic water. Water analysis from experimental (1) occupied burrows (with crabs), (2) unoccupied burrows (where crabs were excluded), and (3) sediment pore water show remarkable differences. Water oxygenation, and nitrate, ammonium and sulphate concentrations inside occupied burrows were higher than in the water inside unoccupied burrows or pore waters. Moreover, directed sampling of phreatic water entering and leaving the crab bed, shows that dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration is enhanced as the water crosses the crab bed. These results may be ascribed to the fact that in the salt marsh the crabs spend most of their time within burrows, where presumably they store food (plants) and defecate. These activities generate an area of accumulation of excrements and nutrients in different decomposition states. The present work shows a novel way by which bioturbating organisms can affect nutrients exportation from salt marshes to the open waters.     

Hydrodynamics and associated sediment transport over coastal wetlands in Quanzhou Bay,China

Coastal salt marshes represent an important coastal wetland system.In order to understand the differences between boundary layer parameters of vegetated and unvegetated areas,as well as the mechanisms of sediment transport,several electromagnetic current meters (AEM HR,products of Alec Electronics Co.Ltd.) were deployed in coastal wetlands in Quanzhou Bay,China,to measure current velocity.During the low tide phase,the surficial sediment was collected at 10 m intervals.In situ measurements show that the current velocities on the bare flat were much higher than those in the Spartina alterniflora marsh.Current velocity also varied with distance from marsh edge and plant canopy height and diameter.Around 63% of the velocity profiles in the tidal creek can be described by a logarithmic equation.Over the bare flat and Spartina alterniflora marsh,a logarithmic profile almost occurs during the flood tide phase.Sediment analysis shows that mean grain size was 6.7 Φ along the marsh edge,and surface sediments were transported from bare flat to marsh;the tidal creeks may change this sediment transport pattern.The hydrodynamics at early flood tide and late ebb tide phases determined the net transport direction within the study area.