Environmental predictors of sediment denitrification rates within restored green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus beds

Benthic processes in coastal marine environments can enhance the natural removal of bioreactive nitrogen through denitrification (DNF), a valuable ecosystem service as nutrient over-enrichment intensifies globally. Enhancing ecosystem services is an important justification for restoring coastal ecosystems, and while it is known that epifaunal bivalves (oysters or mussels) are capable of influencing nitrogen cycling, empirical measurement of the role of particular species across a range of environmental conditions is missing. Bivalves within shell-fish beds are not uniformly distributed and thus clumps and empty patches within restored beds may differentially impact DNF given the importance of local biogeochemistry. This study reports DNF and respiration rates in 4 restored beds that vary in sediment composition, while identifying which ecological and biogeochemical factors best explain the observed variability in measured fluxes. We deployed benthic chambers in sediments with and without mussels at these sites, and measured net N-2 fluxes through membrane inlet mass spectroscopy. Sediment organic matter proved to be the most significant predictor of DNF rates in regression tree and random forest models, suggesting that biodeposition by green-lipped mussels enhances nitrogen removal at these sites and that these effects occur across beds despite differences in mussel density. Greatest DNF rates corresponded to lower sediment chlorophyll a concentrations and higher nitrate/nitrite effluxes measured within chambers. Determining the influence of subtidal mussel restoration on significant sediment processes informs future restoration efforts aiming to maximise this nitrogen removal service, while providing insights on underrepresented oligotrophic systems of the southern hemisphere.

Automated summary

The study focuses on the impact of benthic marine organisms on nitrogen cycling and the importance of this in restoring coastal ecosystems. By measuring the removal and respiration rates of nitrogen in restored beds, it was found that sediment organic matter is a significant predictor of denitrification rates. Additionally, the biodeposition by green-lipped mussels was shown to enhance nitrogen removal, providing insights for future restoration efforts.