Anaerobic ammonium oxidation by nitrite (anammox):: Implications for N2 production in coastal marine sediments

The respiratory reduction of nitrate (denitrification) is acknowledged as the most important process that converts biologically available nitrogen to gaseous dinitrogen (N-2) in marine ecosystems. Recent findings, however, indicate that anaerobic ammonium oxidation by nitrite (anammox) may be an important pathway for N-2 formation and N removal in coastal marine sediments and in anoxic water columns of the oceans. In the present study, we explored this novel mechanism during N mineralization by 15 N amendments (single and coupled additions of (NH4+)-N-15, (NO3-)-N-14 and (NO3-)-N-15) to surface sediments with a wide range of characteristics and overall reactivity. Patterns of N-29/30(2) production in the pore water during closed sediment incubations demonstrated anammox at all 7 of the investigated sites. Stoichiometric calculations revealed that 4% to 79% of total N-2 production was due to this novel route. The relative importance of anammox for N2 release was inversely correlated with remineralized solute production, benthic O-2 consumption, and surface sediment Ch1 a. The observed correlations indicate competition between reductants for pore water nitrite during early diagenesis and that additional factors (e.g. availability of Mn-oxides), superimposed on overall patterns of diagenetic activity, are important for determining absolute and relative rates of anammox in coastal marine sediments. Copyright (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd