Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 111, Issue 1-2, Pages 287-294Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.096
Keywords
Benthic; Intertidal; Macrofauna; Pore water; Enrichment method; Fertiliser
Funding
- Marsden Fund, Royal Society of New Zealand [NIW1102]
- Marie-Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF)
- University of Waikato
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Adding fertiliser to sediments is an established way of studying the effects of eutrophication but a lack of consistent methodology, reporting on enrichment levels, or guidance on application rates precludes rigorous synthesis and meta-analysis. We developed a simple enrichment technique then applied it to 28 sites across an intertidal sandflat. Fertiliser application rates of 150 and 600 g N m(-2) resulted in pore water ammonium concentrations respectively 1-110 and 4-580 x ambient, with greater elevations observed in deeper (5-7 cm) than surface (0-2 cm) sediments. These enrichment levels were similar to eutrophic estuaries and were maintained for at least seven weeks. The high between-site variability could be partially explained by the sedimentary environment and macrofaunal community (42%), but only at the high application rate. We suggest future enrichment studies should be conducted in situ across large environmental gradients to incorporate real world complexity and increase generality of conclusions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available