Increase in sedimentary organic carbon with a change from hypoxic to oxic conditions

In the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, chemical oxygen demand has increased over recent decades, while average dissolved oxygen concentrations in the bottom water have increased. In this study, we investigated responses of organic carbon (OC) in hypoxic sediment to changes of redox conditions using experimental columns containing sediment and overlying water. Surface sediment showed an increase in OC along with the change to an aerobic condition. Microbial community analysis showed a predominance of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) such as Sulfurovum sp. in the sediment. This dominance could account for the increased OC. Additionally, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in the overlying water increased. Further experiments using sandy sediment showed that biodegradation of Sulfurimonas denitrificans was associated with DOC release. These results show that a change in the sedimentary environment (increase in dissolved oxygen) increased the sedimentary OC and DOC of overlying water by stimulating certain autotrophic bacteria, especially the SOB.

Automated summary

In the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, chemical oxygen demand has increased while dissolved oxygen concentrations in bottom water have also increased. This study found that changes in redox conditions led to an increase in organic carbon in sediment, with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria potentially playing a role. Experiments showed that autotrophic bacteria stimulation, especially sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, increased sedimentary organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon in overlying water.