The role of organic matter in the sorption capacity of marine sediments

Past studies have suggested that desiccation enhances hydrophobicity of salt marsh sediment, and that drying and rewetting sediment can be used to investigate sorption mechanisms of amino acids and other organic compounds [Liu, Z., Lee, C., 2006. Drying effects on sorption capacity of coastal sediment: The importance of architecture and polarity of organic matter. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 70, 3313–3324]. Here we further develop this technique to study sorption of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic compounds in a wide range of marine sediments. Our results show that hydrophilic compounds sorb strongly to wet coastal sediments; in dried sediments, sorption of hydrophilic compounds decreases, while sorption of hydrophobic compounds is greatly enhanced. Small compounds with aromatic rings sorb more in dried than wet coastal sediments, suggesting that aromatic groups have a stronger effect on sorption than polar groups like amino and carboxyl moieties. Sorption of lysine, glutamic acid and putrescine decreases greatly when sediment is pretreated with KCl, indicating the importance of cation ion exchange. However, α-amino acids sorb much more than corresponding β- or γ-amino acids, and l-alanine sorbs more than d-alanine, suggesting that amino group location and chiral selectivity play an important role in sorption. Comparison of lysine and tyrosine sorption in different sediments indicates that source and diagenetic state of organic matter are important factors determining sorption capacity. Lysine sorbs much more to organic detritus from salt marsh sediment than to fresh Spartina root materials, marine particles, lignin or humic acids, indicating the importance of structural integrity in sorption. Desorption hysteresis of glutamic acid, putrescine and lysine (in dried sediment) suggests the presence of enzyme-type sorption sites of high sorption energy or multiple binding mechanisms. Taken together, these findings suggest that organic matter plays the major role in amino acid sorption in organic-rich sediments.     

Contributions of mineral and organic components to tidal freshwater marsh accretion

Vertical accretion in tidal marshes is necessary to prevent submergence due to rising sea levels. Mineral materials may be more important in driving vertical accretion in tidal freshwater marshes, which are found near the heads of estuaries, than has been reported for salt marshes. Accretion rates for tidal freshwater marshes in North America and Europe (n = 76 data points) were compiled from the literature. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that both organic and mineral accumulations played a role in driving tidal freshwater marsh vertical accretion rates, although a unit mass of organic material contributed ∼4 times more to marsh volume than the same mass input of mineral material. Despite the higher mineral content of tidal freshwater marsh soils, this ability of organic matter to effectively hold water and air in interstitial spaces suggests that organic matter is responsible for 62% of marsh accretion, with the remaining 38% from mineral contributions. The organic material that helps to build marsh elevation is likely a combination of in situ production and organic materials that are deposited in association with mineral sediment particles. Regional differences between tidal freshwater marshes in the importance of organic vs. mineral contributions may reflect differences in sediment availability, climate, tidal range, rates of sea level rise, and local-scale factors such as site elevation and distance to tidal creeks. Differences in the importance of organic and mineral accumulations between tidal freshwater and salt marshes are likely due to a combination of factors, including sediment availability (e.g., proximity to upland sources and estuarine turbidity maxima) and the lability of freshwater vs. salt marsh plant production.     

High-resolution records of the response of coastal wetland systems to long-term and short-term sea-level variability

While it is well known that coastal systems respond to long-term sea-level changes, the importance of short-term sea-level dynamics is often overlooked. Year-to-year variability in annual mean sea level along the North American Atlantic coast is part of a regionally consistent pattern that is coupled to low atmospheric pressure and high wind field anomalies persisting over 100s to 1000s of km. These short-term sea-level dynamics, along with long-term sea-level changes are shown to be closely coupled to a set of high resolution excess ²¹⁰Pb geochronologies from four physiographically distinct salt marsh estuaries surrounding Long Island, NY, USA. However, the degree to which a marsh responds to either forcing depends on its physiographic setting. Accretion and mineral deposition rates in marshes situated in embayments with long fetches and low-tidal ranges are shown to respond most to the short-term dynamically driven changes in sea level. On the other hand, accretion and mineral deposition in a marsh in an embayment with a high-tidal range and reduced fetch best track the long-term changes in mean sea level, presumably because the physiography limited the meteorological drivers of short-term sea-level change. The close coupling between marsh accretion, physiographic setting and indices of sea-level change indicates that these coastal system respond both differently and rapidly (2–5 yr) to climate variability.     

Impact of dynamic feedbacks between sedimentation,sea-level rise,and biomass production on near-surface marsh stratigraphy and carbon accumulation

Salt marshes accrete both organic and inorganic sediments. Here we present analytical and numerical models of salt marsh sedimentation that, in addition to capturing inorganic processes, explicitly account for above- and belowground organic processes including root growth and decay of organic carbon. The analytical model is used to examine the bias introduced by organic processes into proxy records of sedimentation, namely ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb. We find that accretion rates estimated using ²¹⁰Pb will be less than accretion rates estimated using the ¹³⁷Cs peak in steadily accreting marshes if (1) carbon decay is significant and (2) data for ²¹⁰Pb extend below the ¹³⁷Cs peak. The numerical model expands upon the analytical model by including belowground processes such as compaction and root growth, and by explicitly tracking the evolution of aboveground biomass and its effect on sedimentation rates. Using the numerical model we explore how marsh stratigraphy responds to sediment supply and the rate of sea-level rise. It is calibrated and tested using an extensive data set of both marsh stratigraphy and measurements of vegetation dynamics in a Spartina alterniflora marsh in South Carolina, USA. We find that carbon accumulation in marshes is nonlinearly related to both the supply of inorganic sediment and the rate of sea-level rise; carbon accumulation increases with sea-level rise until sea-level rise reaches a critical rate that drowns the marsh vegetation and halts carbon accumulation. The model predicts that changes in carbon storage resulting from changing sediment supply or sea-level rise are strongly dependent on the background sediment supply: if inorganic sediment supply is reduced in an already sediment poor marsh the storage of organic carbon will increase to a far greater extent than in a sediment-rich marsh, provided that the rate of sea-level rise does not exceed a threshold. These results imply that altering sediment supply to estuaries (e.g., by damming upstream rivers or altering littoral sediment transport) could lead to significant changes in the carbon budgets of coastal salt marshes.     

Temporal variation of accumulation rates on a natural salt marsh in the 20th century — The impact of sea level rise and increased inundation frequency

Salt marshes are potentially threatened by sea level rise if sediment supply is unable to balance the rising sea. A rapid sea level rise is one of the pronounced effects of global warming and global sea level is at present rising at an elevated rate of about 3.4 mm y^? 1 on average. This increasing rate of sea level rise should make it possible to study the effect of rapidly rising sea level on salt marsh accumulation. However, such an understanding is generally hampered by lack of available data with sufficient precision. Here we present a high-precision dataset based on detailed radiometric measurements of ¹³⁷Cs in 10 sediment cores retrieved at a natural and unmanaged micro tidal salt marsh. Two distinct ¹³⁷Cs-peaks were found in all cores, one peak corresponding to the 1963-maximum caused by testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere and the other to the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Salt marsh accretion has generally kept pace with sea level rise since 1963 but comparison of the accumulation rates of minerogenic material in the period 1963–1986 and 1986–2003 revealed a slight decrease in accumulation with time in spite of an observed increase in inundation frequency. The observed decrease in sediment deposition is significant and gives reason for concern as it may be the first sign of a sedimentation deficiency which could be threatening this and other salt marshes in the case of a rapidly rising sea level. Our work demonstrates that the assumption of a constant relationship between salt marsh inundation and sediment deposition is not necessarily valid, even for a salt marsh that receives most of its allocthonous sediment from the adjacent sea. The apparent decrease in sediment deposition indicates that the basic assumption of sufficient sediment supply used in contemporary models dealing with salt marsh accretion is most probably not valid in the present case study and it may well be that this is also the case for many other salt marshes, especially if sea level continues to rise rapidly as indicated by some climate change scenarios.     

Sources and preservation of organic matter in Plum Island salt marsh sediments (MA, USA): long-chain n-alkanes and stable carbon isotope compositions

Elemental (TOC, TN, C/N) and stable carbon isotopic (δ¹³C) compositions and n-alkane (nC_16–38) concentrations were measured for Spartina alterniflora, a C₄ marsh grass, Typha latifolia, a C₃ marsh grass, and three sediment cores collected from middle and upper estuarine sites from the Plum Island salt marshes. Our results indicated that the organic matter preserved in the sediments was highly affected by the marsh plants that dominated the sampling sites. δ¹³C values of organic matter preserved in the upper fresh water site sediment were more negative (−23.0±0.3‰) as affected by the C₃ plants than the values of organic matter preserved in the sediments of middle (−18.9±0.8‰) and mud flat sites (−19.4±0.1‰) as influenced mainly by the C₄ marsh plants. The distribution of n-alkanes measured in all sediments showed similar patterns as those determined in the marsh grasses S. alterniflora and T. latifolia, and nC₂₁ to nC₃₃ long-chain n-alkanes were the major compounds determined in all sediment samples. The strong odd-to-even carbon numbered n-alkane predominance was found in all three sediments and nC₂₉ was the most abundant homologue in all samples measured. Both δ¹³C compositions of organic matter and n-alkane distributions in these sediments indicate that the marsh plants could contribute significant amount of organic matter preserved in Plum Island salt marsh sediments. This suggests that salt marshes play an important role in the cycling of nutrients and organic carbon in the estuary and adjacent coastal waters.     

Fluxes and behavior of radium isotopes, barium, and uranium in seven Southeastern US rivers and estuaries

This paper demonstrates the importance of advective transport of water through permeable estuarine and salt marsh sediments. This transport delivers significant quantities of radium and barium to the coastal ocean; and, in some cases may remove significant quantities of uranium. These conclusions are based on repeated analyses of seven river–estuarine systems from North Carolina to Florida. Fluxes of radium and barium from these river systems are shown to be inadequate to balance the dissolved inventories of these elements in the South Atlantic Bight. The strong interactions that occur between surface and subsurface waters as these rivers encounter coastal marshes lead us to consider these river mouths as marsh-dominated in terms of their chemical fluxes to the ocean. Such interactions between the river and coastal marsh must be considered when estimating fluxes of material between the land and ocean.     

Seasonal changes in community composition and trophic structure of fish populations of five salt marshes along the Essex coastline, United Kingdom

European intertidal salt marshes are important nursery sites for juvenile fish and crustaceans. Due to the increasing threat of habitat loss, the seasonal changes of salt marsh fish communities need to be understood in order to appreciate the ecological and economic importance of the saltmarsh habitat. This study was the first in Great Britain to investigate the seasonal changes of salt marsh fish communities and the variation in community structure between closely located marsh habitats. Between February 2007 and March 2008, five marshes on three estuaries of the Essex coastline were sampled using flume nets to block off intertidal creeks at high tide. Fourteen fish species were caught. The community overall was dominated by three species that made up 91.6% of the total catch: the common goby Pomatoschistus microps (46.2% of the total catch), juvenile herring Clupea harengus (24.3%), and juvenile and larval sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (21.2%). Cluster analysis demonstrated clear seasonal patterns, with some community structures unique to specific marshes or estuaries. The marsh fish community shifts from a highly diverse community during spring, to a community dominated by D. labrax and P. microps in autumn, and low diversity during winter months. Gravimetric stomach content analysis of fish community identified three main trophic guilds; macroinvertivores, planktivores and omnivores. The macroinvertivore feeding guild contained D. labrax and P. microps, the two most frequently occurring species. This investigation demonstrates the importance of British salt marshes as nursery habitats for commercial fish species.     

Marine vs. terrigenous organic matter in Louisiana coastal sediments: The uses of bromine:organic carbon ratios

Recent data on the sources of organic carbon buried in the ocean have emphasized the probable importance of terrigenous organic matter in burial budgets of deltaic depocenters. The many markers used to assess relative importance of marine vs. terrestrial sources each have ambiguities. We use the ratio of bromine to organic carbon (Br:OC) as a source indicator for organic matter in the Mississippi delta. Progressive increases in bromine concentrations from the river to the slope indicate increasing content of marine-derived organic matter. Quantitative estimates of marine vs. terrigenous organic matter using Br:OC ratios in a two-endmember mixing model are consistent with recent estimates using a combination of three other source markers [Gordon, E.S., Goñi, M.A. 2003. Sources and distribution of terrigenous organic matter delivered by the Atchafalaya River to sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 67:2359–2375]. The Br:OC vs. δ¹³C relationship indicates seaward increase in δ¹³C without proportionate incorporation of marine organic matter, consistent with recent arguments that isotopically depleted terrestrial detritus derived from C3 plants is separated from C4-derived terrigenous organic matter during transport. Decreasing Br:OC ratios downcore at many sites that have significant amounts of marine organic matter indicate that the marine organic matter is preferentially lost during burial diagenesis. This preferential loss constrains the contribution of organic matter burial in deltaic environments to global removal of Br.     

The ebb and flood of Silica: Quantifying dissolved and biogenic silica fluxes from a temperate salt marsh

Salt marshes are widely studied due to the broad range of ecosystem services they provide including serving as crucial wildlife habitat and as hotspots for biogeochemical cycling. Nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) are well studied in these systems. However, salt marshes may also be important environments for the cycling of another key nutrient, silica (Si). Found at the land–sea interface, these systems are silica replete with large stocks in plant biomass, sediments, and porewater, and therefore, have the potential to play a substantial role in the transformation and export of silica to coastal waters. In an effort to better understand this role, we measured the fluxes of dissolved (DSi) and biogenic (BSi) silica into and out of two tidal creeks in a temperate, North American (Rowley, Massachusetts, USA) salt marsh. One of the creeks has been fertilized from May to September for six years allowing us to examine the impacts of nutrient addition on silica dynamics within the marsh. High-resolution sampling in July 2010 showed no significant differences in Si concentrations between the fertilized and reference creeks with dissolved silica ranging from 0.5 to 108 μM and biogenic from 2.0 to 56 μM. Net fluxes indicated that the marsh is a point source of dissolved silica to the estuary in the summer with a net flux of approximately 169 mol h⁻¹, demonstrating that this system exports DSi on the same magnitude as some nearby, mid-sized rivers. If these findings hold true for all salt marshes, then these already valuable regions are contributing yet another ecosystem service that has been previously overlooked; by exporting DSi to coastal receiving waters, salt marshes are actively providing this important nutrient for coastal primary productivity.     

Plant traits and spread of the invasive salt marsh grass,Spartina alterniflora Loisel., in the Great Brak Estuary,South Africa

Spartina alterniflora Loisel., widely recognised as an aggressive invader of estuaries and salt marshes around the world, was discovered growing in the temporarily open/closed Great Brak Estuary on the southern Cape coast of South Africa in 2004. This is the first record of this invasive plant in Africa as well as its first occurrence in an estuary that closes to the sea. Plant traits and sediment characteristics were measured in 2009 and 2011 and found to be comparable to those reported elsewhere. Prior to the 2011 sampling, S. alterniflora stands had been flooded for almost eight months. As a result, sediment redox potential (?268 + 4 mV) was significantly lower in 2011. Sediments were mostly clay in 2009 (71 ± 0.01%) compared to a predominance of sand in 2011 (40 ± 0.02%). These differences were related to the artificial breaching of the estuary one month prior to sampling in March 2011. The grass currently occupies 1.1 ha in the salt marsh, sandflat and mudflat habitats of the estuary where its cover is expanding at a rate of 0.162 ha y^?1. Individual stands numbered about 12 in 2006, but have increased to 24 in 2011. These stands are expanding laterally at 0.9 m y^?1 although the long period of inundation during 2010 reduced this to 0.6 m y^?1. Expansion is due to vegetative spread as an analysis of the sediment seed bank showed no S. alterniflora seeds and very few salt marsh seeds (1 132 seeds m^?2). If left unchecked, S. alterniflora has the potential to replace 42.9 ha or 41% of the total estuary habitat in the Great Brak Estuary, but also has the potential to invade other estuaries in South Africa, especially those with extensive intertidal habitat and containing S. maritima (19 estuaries in total). This study illustrates the adaptive potential of this invasive marsh plant and indicates the possibility of invasion in seasonally closed estuaries in other locations around the world.     

Observations on the ecological importance of salt marshes in the Cumberland Basin,a macrotidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy

The Cumberland Basin, a 118 km² estuary at the head of the Bay of Fundy which has an average tidal range of about 11m, contains large tracts of salt marsh (15% of the area below highest high water). Low marsh (below about 0·9 m above mean high water) is composed almost exclusively of Spartina alterniflora while the vegetation on high marsh is more diverse but dominated by Spartina patens. Because of its higher elevation, high marsh is flooded infrequently for short periods by only extreme high tides. Low marsh is inundated much more frequently by water as much as 4m deep for periods as long as 4 h per tide. Temporal variability in the occurrence of extreme tides influences the flooding frequency of high marsh for any given month and year. Using a modification of Smalley's method, the mean annual net aerial primary production (NAPP) of low and high marsh is estimated to be 272 and 172 g C m^?2, respectively. Vegetation turnover times average 1·0 and 2·0 y for low and high marsh, respectively. Because of abundant tidal energy, much of the low marsh production appears to be exported and distributed widely about the estuary. Since high levels of turbidity suppress phytoplankton production, salt marshes produce approximately half of the carbon fixed photosynthetically in the Cumberland Basin. It is concluded that salt marshes play a major ecological role in the Cumberland Basin.     

Winter processes on northern salt marshes: Evaluating the impact of in-situ peat compaction due to ice loading, Wells, ME

New England salt marshes are dominated by the supratidal high marsh grass, Spartina patens. This grass forms a nearly planar surface, which makes it highly vulnerable to the predicted regime of accelerated sea-level rise (SLR). If the high marsh cannot keep pace with rising sea level it will be transformed to intertidal environments, leading to unusually rapid coastal evolution. Winter processes such as ice-loading of surface peat may degrade the marsh surface. Large volumes of snow and ice compress peat, resulting in shallow compaction and a net loss of elevation in some areas.On the Webhannet marsh in Maine, a simulated ice compaction experiment indicates that thick ice can compress marsh peat (46 cm simulated ‘ice’ produced 6.9 ± 0.3 mm of compaction; 24 cm ‘ice’ produced 3.0 ± 0.8 mm). Experimental data suggest that ice thicknesses greater than 10 cm depress the marsh surface by 2 mm for each cm of total ice thickness. However, surface elevations rebounded to near-control levels within 2 weeks of the removal of simulated ‘ice’ from the surface of the marsh. Normal winter ice accumulations on New England marshes, therefore, do not appear to be sufficient to permanently compact marsh surface peat and lead to loss in marsh surface elevation.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus species in the coastal and shelf waters of Southeastern North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic U.S. coast

The diversity of small-scale wetlands, high salinity tidal creeks, salt marshes, estuaries, and a wide and shallow shelf with the Gulf Stream close to the break makes the coastal zone of south-eastern North Carolina (U.S.) a natural laboratory for the study of the cycling of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in coastal and shelf waters. We assessed the summer concentrations, forms, and ratios for each N (total dissolved N, nitrate + nitrite, ammonium and dissolved organic N) and P (total dissolved P, o-phosphate and dissolved organic P) pool as these nutrients travel from tidal creeks, salt marshes and two large estuaries to Long and Onslow Bays. Additionally, we measured ancillary physical (temperature, salinity and turbidity) and chemical (dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and pH) water properties. Highest concentrations of all individual N and P compounds were found in the upper parts of each tributary and were attributed to loads from agricultural and urban sources to the coastal watersheds, continuing downstream to receiving estuaries. In all areas, dissolved organic N and P species were predominant constituents of the total dissolved N and P pools (64–97% and 56–93%, respectively). The lower parts of estuaries and surface shelf waters were characterized by oceanic surface values, indicating removal of N and P downstream in all tributaries. The different watershed and hydrological characteristics also determined the different speciation of N and P pools in each estuary. Despite a high level of anthropogenic pressure on the uppermost coastal waters, there is self-regulation in this coastal ecosystem with respect to human perturbations; i.e. significant amounts of the N and P load are retained within estuarine and nearshore waters without reaching the shelf.     

Effects of crab–halophytic plant interactions on creek growth in a S.W. Atlantic salt marsh: A Cellular Automata model

The Bahía Blanca Estuary (38° 50′ S, and 62° 30′ W) presents salt marshes where interactions between the local flora (Sarcocornia perennis) and fauna (Chasmagnathus granulatus) generate some kind of salt pans that alter the normal water circulation and condition its flow and course towards tidal creeks. The crab–vegetation dynamics in the salt marsh presents variations that cannot be quantified in a reasonable period of time. The interaction between S. perennis plant and C. granulatus crab is based on simple laws, but its result is a complex biological mechanism that causes an erosive process on the salt marsh and favors the formation of tidal creeks. To study it, a Cellular Automata model is proposed, based on the laws deduced from the observation of these phenomena in the field, and then verified with measurable data within macroscale time units. Therefore, the objective of this article is to model how the interaction between C. granulatus and S. perennis modifies the landscape of the salt marsh and influences the path of tidal creeks. The model copies the basic laws that rule the problem based on purely biological factors.The Cellular Automata model proved capable of reproducing the effects of the interaction between plants and crabs in the salt marsh. A study of the water drainage of the basins showed that this interaction does indeed modify the development of tidal creeks. Model dynamics would likewise follow different laws, which would provide a different formula for the probability of patch dilation. The patch shape can be obtained changing the pattern that dilates.     

Retention of arsenic and phosphorus in iron-rich concretions of Tagus salt marshes

Iron-rich concretions are frequently found around plant roots in Tagus estuary (Portugal) where radial delivery of O₂ takes place. Salt marsh sediments exhibit cracks that are an additional feature to introduce O₂ and other solutes in the upper sediments. Metal concentrations in salt marsh sediments are clearly above the background levels reflecting the anthropogenic sources from a large city with 2.5 million inhabitants, and several industrial centres. In order to evaluate how both oxidised structures influences the redistribution of redox sensitive elements in salt marsh sediments, concretions were collected from roots of Halimione portucaloides below the oxygenated zone. These tubular cylindrical structures were analysed for Fe, Al, Mn, As, and P along 1-cm radial transect in a millimetre scale from the inner part to the adjacent anoxic sediment. In addition, oxidised cracks were analysed for the same spatial resolution, from the sediment–water interface to anoxic layers (2-cm transept). The parallelism between Fe, As, and P concentrations at this microscale is the most noticeable aspect. Iron and As presented very high concentrations in the 4-mm concretions (3.4 mmol g⁻¹ and 3.1 μmol g⁻¹, respectively) and decreased sharply to the host sediment. Oxygen released from roots oxidise the solid sulphides, and the reduced Fe and As are transported towards the root by both diffusion and pore water flow associated with the root water uptake. Subsequently, Fe(III) precipitates and As is retained by sorption and/or coprecipitation. These elements are also enriched in the first 2-mm of oxidised cracks, but in lower concentrations (50% and 30%, respectively). Manganese concentrations in concretions were low (11.8 μmol g⁻¹), indicating that Fe dominates the sediment chemistry. Phosphorus and iron concentrations in the ascorbate fraction were higher in the oxidising surfaces of concretions (10.7 μmol g⁻¹ and 1.6 mmol g⁻¹, respectively) and of cracks (5.1 μmol g⁻¹ and 0.47 mmol g⁻¹). The parallelism of Fe and As distributions includes not only their similar redox chemistries, but also that to phosphate, including control by coprecipitation of the host iron phases. The mechanisms involved in the mobilisation of As and P are however different, whereas As comes from the oxidation of iron sulphides; dissolved P derives from reduction of ferri-hydroxide phases.     

Carbon dioxide emission and carbon accumulation in coastal wetlands

Direct measurements of CO₂ fluxes were made in salt, brackish and freshwater marshes and parallel adjacent open water areas in Barataria Basin, Louisiana. Vertical flux density was determined by monitoring the accumulation of CO₂ in aluminum chambers placed over the water or sediment surfaces. Annual CO₂ fluxes were 418, 180 and 618 g Cm^?2 from the salt, brackish and freshwater marsh, respectively. Water bodies adjacent to the marsh evolved 103, 54 and 242 g CO₂-Cm^?2yr^?1 to the atmosphere from saline, brackish and freshwater lakes, respectively. The role these marshes play in serving as a major carbon sink was determined from the carbon content of the sediment, vertical accretion rates and the bulk density of the sediment. Accretion rates were calculated from the depth in the sediment of the 1963 horizon, the year of peak ¹³⁷Cs fallout. Net carbon accumulation was essentially the same in all three marshes; 183, 296 and 224 g Cm^?2yr^?1 from the salt, brackish and fresh marsh, respectively. Data presented suggest a limited net export of carbon from these coastal marshes. A large percentage of fixed carbon remained on the marsh, being immobilized in accretionary processes or lost to the atmosphere as CO₂.     

Population ecology of the snail Melampus bidentatus in changing salt marsh landscapes

We studied the population ecology of the snail Melampus bidentatus in relation to patch composition and landscape structure across several salt marsh systems in Connecticut, USA. These marshes have changed significantly over the past 40–50 years including loss of total area, increased areas of short Spartina alterniflora, and decreased areas and fragmentation of Spartina patens. These changes are consistent with tidal inundation patterns that indicate frequent flooding of high marsh areas. Melampus bidentatus densities were highly variable, both among different salt marsh systems and locations within specific marshes, but were generally similar among short Sp. alterniflora and Sp. patens patches within locations. Densities were lowest where the marsh was regularly inundated at high tide and only remnant Sp. patens patches remained. Almost no snails were found in bare patches. Areas that had large Sp. patens patches adjacent to short Sp. alterniflora supported the highest M. bidentatus densities. Population size‐structure varied significantly among patch types, with higher proportions of large individuals in short Sp. alterniflora and hummocked Sp. patens patches than in large and remnant Sp. patens patches. This was likely due to size‐selective predation and/or higher snail growth rates due to better food resource conditions in short Sp. alterniflora patches. Egg mass densities and the number of eggs per egg mass were highest in short Sp. alterniflora. Our results indicate that M. bidentatus is resilient to the level and patterns of salt marsh change evident at our study sites. Indeed, snail densities were significantly higher than reported in other field studies, suggesting that increased patch areas of short Sp. alterniflora and associated environmental conditions at our study sites may provide more favorable habitats than previously when marshes were dominated by extensive Sp. patens meadows. However, there may be threshold conditions that could overwhelm the ability of M. bidentatus to maintain itself within salt marsh systems where changes in hydrology, sedimentation and other factors lead to increased numbers of bare patches and ponds and loss of short Sp. alterniflora and Sp. patens. Studies of the responses of resident and transient fauna to salt marsh change are critically needed in order to better understand the implications for salt marsh ecosystem dynamics and services.     

Pathways of organic matter through food webs of diverse habitats in the regulated Nakdong River estuary (Korea)

The benthic macroinvertebrates of the Nakdong River estuary were sampled at three different habitats: two salt marsh (Scirpus triqueter and Phragmites australis) beds and a bare intertidal flat. Fishes were sampled in the main channel. The trophic importance of marsh vascular plants, microphytobenthos, and riverine and channel particulate organic matter to macroinvertebrate and fish production was studied using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope tracers. There was a dramatic change in coverage of macrophytes (salt marshes and seagrass) after the construction of an estuarine barrage in 1987 in the Nakdong River estuary, with the S. triqueter bed increasing, the P. australis bed decreasing, and Zostera marina habitats being nearly lost. Although the invertebrate δ¹³C were within a narrower range than those of the primary producers, the values varied considerably among consumers in these habitats. However, the isotope signatures of consumers showed similarities among different habitats. Cluster analysis based on their isotopic similarity suggested that the isotope variability among species was related more to functional feeding groups than to habitats or taxonomic groups. While δ¹³C values of suspension feeders were close to that of the channel POM (mainly phytoplankton), other benthic feeders and predators had δ¹³C similar to that of microphytobenthos. Isotopic mixing model estimates suggest that algal sources, including microphytobenthos and phytoplankton, play an important role in supporting the benthic food web. Despite the huge productivity of emergent salt marshes, the contribution of the marsh-derived organic matter to the estuarine food webs appears to be limited to some nutrition for some invertebrates just within marsh habitats, with little on the bare intertidal flats or in the channel fish communities. Isotope signatures of the channel fishes also confirm that algal sources are important in supporting fish nutrition. Our findings suggest that benthic and pelagic microalgae made a large contribution to consumer diets, while marsh plants may not have a large role in supporting food webs in this estuarine system.     

Release of dissolved organic matter during oxic and anoxic decomposition of salt marsh cordgrass

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), as the light absorbing fraction of bulk dissolved organic matter (DOM), plays a number of important roles in the global and local biogeochemical cycling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and in controlling the optical properties of estuarine and coastal waters. Intertidal areas such as salt marshes can contribute significant amounts of the CDOM that is exported to the ocean, but the processes controlling this CDOM source are not well understood. In this study, we investigate the production of DOM and CDOM from the decomposition of two salt marsh cordgrasses, Spartina patens, a C₄ grass, and Typha latifolia, a C₃ grass, in well-controlled laboratory experiments. During the seven-week incubation period of the salt marsh grasses in oxic and anoxic seawater, changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, dissolved nitrogen (DN) concentrations, stable carbon isotopic composition of DOC (DOC-δ¹³C), and CDOM fluorescence demonstrate a significant contribution of DOC and CDOM to estuarine waters from salt marsh plants, such as Spartina and Typha species. In the natural environment, however, the release processes of CDOM from different cordgrass species could be controlled largely by the in situ oxic and anoxic conditions present during degradation which affects both the production and decomposition of DOC and CDOM, as well as the optical properties of CDOM in estuarine and coastal waters.