Effects of fiddler crab bioturbation on the geochemical migration and bioavailability of heavy metals in coastal wetlands

Fiddler crabs, found in coastal wetlands worldwide, function as ecosystem engineers. Their burrowing activity can significantly alter biogeochemistry at the local scale, however, the mobility of heavy metals (HMs) in burrow sediments remains unclear. Here, we used diffusive gradients in thin-film probes to obtain bioavailable Fe and HMs (Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb, Co, and Mo) in crab burrows from coastal wetlands (mudflats, salt marshes, and mangroves). The depth-profile results showed that most HMs were enriched at shallow and deep depths but deficient at middle depths. We highlighted that bioturbation improved oxic conditions, enhanced HM concentrations, and favored dissolved HM retention in burrow sediments, which served as a sink for overlying water HMs via burrow flushing but a potential source of particle HMs via enhanced resuspension. In deep anoxic layers, Fe(III) reduction drove the remobilization of HMs, except Cu and Mo, leading to the co-release of HMs with Fe. This Fe-HM coupling/decoupling was verified using enhanced two-dimensional high-resolution imaging, which revealed highly spatial heterogeneity of multiple HMs. Moreover, the hydrological conditions regulating bioturbation effects on HM behavior varied across different coastal wetlands. With coastal environmental changes, the key role of ubiquitous bioturbation in HM migration and bioavailability should be reconsidered.

Automated summary

Fiddler crabs, as ecosystem engineers, can alter biogeochemistry in coastal wetlands. This study found that their burrowing activity increases the concentration of heavy metals in sediment and enhances the retention of dissolved heavy metals. The hydrological conditions in different coastal wetlands regulate the effects of bioturbation on heavy metal behavior. Therefore, the importance of bioturbation in heavy metal migration and bioavailability needs to be reconsidered.