Chapter 6 Seagrasses and Biogeochemistry
153
impacting activities (e.g. Delgado et al., 1999). The
mechanisms behind seagrass decline and its effects
on coastal biogeochemistry remain a challenge for
future seagrass studies.
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the EU project MedVeg (Q5RS-2001-02456) and a project funded by
the Spanish Ministery of Environment (055/2002).
We thank Jack Middelburg, Tony Larkum and two
anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
References
Agawin NSR and Duarte CM (2002) Evidence of direct particle
trapping by a tropical seagrass meadow. Estuaries 25: 1205–
1209
Alpine AE and Cloern JE (1992) Trophic interactions and direct
physical effects control phytoplankton biomass and production in an estuary. Limnol Oceanogr 37: 946–955
Aristegui J, Duarte CM, Agust´ ı S, Doval M, Alvarez-Salgado
XA and Hansell DA (2002) Dissolved organic carbon support
of respiration in the dark ocean. Science 298: 1967
Azzoni R, Giordani G, Bartoli M, Welsh DT and Viaroli P (2001)
Iron, sulphur and phosphorus cycling in the rhizosphere sediments of a eutrophic Ruppia cirrhosa meadow (Valle Smarlacca, Italy). J Sea Res 45: 15–26
Barber TR and Carlson PR Jr (1993) Effects of seagrass dieoff on benthic fluxes and porewater concentrations of
CO 2 ,
H 2 S, and CH 4 in Florida Bay sediments. In: Oremland RS
(ed) Biogeochemistry of Global Change: Radioactively Active
Trace Gases, pp 530–550. Chapman and Hall, New York
Barr´ on C, Duarte CM, Frankignoulle M and Vieira Borges A
Organic carbon metabolism and carbonate dynamics in a
Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow. Limnol Oceanogr (submitted)
Barr´ on C, Marb` a N, Terrados J, Kennedy H and Duarte CM
(2004) Community metabolism and carbon budget along a
gradient of seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) colonization. Limnol Oceanogr 49: 1642–1651
Beer S and Rehnberg J (1997) The acquisition of inorganic carbon by the seagrass Zostera marina. Aquat Bot 56: 277–283
Benner R, Peele ER and Hodson RE (1986) Microbial utilization
of dissolved organic matter from leaves of the red mangrove,
Rhizophora mangle, in the Fresh Creek Estuary, Bahamas. Est
Coast Shelf Sci 23: 607–619
Berner RA (1984) Sedimentary pyrite formation: An update.
Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 48: 605–615
Bj¨ ork M, Weil A, Semesi S and Beer S (1997) Photosynthetic
utilization of inorganic carbon by seagrasses from Zanzibar,
East Africa. Mar Biol 129: 363–366
Blaabjerg V and Finster K (1998) Sulphate reduction associated
with roots and rhizomes of the marine macrophyte Zostera
marina. Aquat Microb Ecol 15: 311–314
Blaabjerg V, Mouritsen KM and Finster K (1998) Diel cycles of sulphate reduction rates in sediments of a Zostera marina bed (Denmark). Aquat Microb Ecol 15: 97–
102
Blackburn TH, Nedwell DB and Wiebe WJ (1994) Active mineral cycling in a Jamaican seagrass sediment. Mar Ecol Prog
Ser 110: 233–239
Borum J and Sand-Jensen K (1996) Is total primary productivity in shallow coastal waters stimulated by nitrogen loading?
Oikos 76: 406–410
Boschker HTS, Wielemaker A, Schaub BEM and Holmer M
(2000) Limited coupling of macrophyte production and bacterial carbon cycling in the sediments of Zostera meadows.
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 203: 181–189
Bosence D (1989) Carbonate production in Florida Bay. Bull
Mar Sci 44: 419–433
Bostr¨ om C and Bonsdorff E (2000) Zoobenthic community establishment and habitat complexity – the importance of seagrass shoot-density, morphology and physical disturbance for
faunal recruitment. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 205: 123–138
Brun FG, Vergara JJ, Navarro G, Hern´ andez I and Perez-Llorens
JL (2003) Effect of shading by ulva rigida canopies on growth
and carbon balance of the seagrass Zostera noltii. Mar Ecol
Prog Ser 265: 85–96
Brylinsky M (1977) Release of dissolved organic matter by some
marine macrophytes. Mar Biol 39: 213–220
Burdige DJ and Zimmerman RC (2002) Impact of sea grass density on carbonate dissolution in Bahamian sediments. Limnol
Oceanogr 47: 1751–1763
Buss LW and Jakson JBC (1981) Planktonic food availability and
suspension-feeder abundance: Evidence of in situ depletion. J
Exp Mar Biol Ecol 49: 151–161
Buzzelli CP, Wetzel RL and Meyers MB (1999) A linked physical
and biological framework to assess biogeochemical dynamics
in a shallow estuarine system. Est Coast Shelf Sci 49: 829–851
Caffrey JM and Kemp WM (1990) Nitrogen cycling in sediments with estuarine populations of Potamogeton perfoliatus
and Zostera marina. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 66: 147–160
Canals M and Ballesteros E (1997) Production of carbonate particles by phytobenthic communities on the Mallorca–Menorca
shelf, northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Deep-Sea Res II 44:
611–629
Canfield DE, Thamdrup B and Hansen JW (1993) The anaerobic
degradation of organic-matter in Danish coastal sedimentsiron reduction, manganese reduction, and sulfate reduction.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 57: 3867–3883
Carlson PR Jr, Yarbro LA and Barber TR (1994) Relationship
of sediment sulfide to mortality of Thalassia Testudinum in
Florida Bay. Bull Mar Sci 54: 733–746
Cebrian J, Marb` a N and Duarte CM (1994) Estimating leaf age
of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile using the plastochrone interval index. Aquat Bot 49: 59–65
Cebri´ an J, Pedersen MF, Kroeger KD and Valiela I (2000) Fate
of production of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in different
stages of meadow formation. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 204: 119–130
Chambers RM, Fourqurean JW, Macko SA and Hoppenot R
(2001) Biogeochemical effects of iron availability on primary
producers in a shallow marine carbonate environment. Limnol
Oceanogr 46: 1278–1286
Christensen KK, Jensen HS, Andersen FO, Wigand C and
Holmer M (1998) Interferences between root plaque formation
and phosphorus availability for isoetids in sediments of oligotrophic lakes. Biogeochemistry 43: 107–128
153
impacting activities (e.g. Delgado et al., 1999). The
mechanisms behind seagrass decline and its effects
on coastal biogeochemistry remain a challenge for
future seagrass studies.
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the EU project MedVeg (Q5RS-2001-02456) and a project funded by
the Spanish Ministery of Environment (055/2002).
We thank Jack Middelburg, Tony Larkum and two
anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
References
Agawin NSR and Duarte CM (2002) Evidence of direct particle
trapping by a tropical seagrass meadow. Estuaries 25: 1205–
1209
Alpine AE and Cloern JE (1992) Trophic interactions and direct
physical effects control phytoplankton biomass and production in an estuary. Limnol Oceanogr 37: 946–955
Aristegui J, Duarte CM, Agust´ ı S, Doval M, Alvarez-Salgado
XA and Hansell DA (2002) Dissolved organic carbon support
of respiration in the dark ocean. Science 298: 1967
Azzoni R, Giordani G, Bartoli M, Welsh DT and Viaroli P (2001)
Iron, sulphur and phosphorus cycling in the rhizosphere sediments of a eutrophic Ruppia cirrhosa meadow (Valle Smarlacca, Italy). J Sea Res 45: 15–26
Barber TR and Carlson PR Jr (1993) Effects of seagrass dieoff on benthic fluxes and porewater concentrations of
CO 2 ,
H 2 S, and CH 4 in Florida Bay sediments. In: Oremland RS
(ed) Biogeochemistry of Global Change: Radioactively Active
Trace Gases, pp 530–550. Chapman and Hall, New York
Barr´ on C, Duarte CM, Frankignoulle M and Vieira Borges A
Organic carbon metabolism and carbonate dynamics in a
Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow. Limnol Oceanogr (submitted)
Barr´ on C, Marb` a N, Terrados J, Kennedy H and Duarte CM
(2004) Community metabolism and carbon budget along a
gradient of seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) colonization. Limnol Oceanogr 49: 1642–1651
Beer S and Rehnberg J (1997) The acquisition of inorganic carbon by the seagrass Zostera marina. Aquat Bot 56: 277–283
Benner R, Peele ER and Hodson RE (1986) Microbial utilization
of dissolved organic matter from leaves of the red mangrove,
Rhizophora mangle, in the Fresh Creek Estuary, Bahamas. Est
Coast Shelf Sci 23: 607–619
Berner RA (1984) Sedimentary pyrite formation: An update.
Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 48: 605–615
Bj¨ ork M, Weil A, Semesi S and Beer S (1997) Photosynthetic
utilization of inorganic carbon by seagrasses from Zanzibar,
East Africa. Mar Biol 129: 363–366
Blaabjerg V and Finster K (1998) Sulphate reduction associated
with roots and rhizomes of the marine macrophyte Zostera
marina. Aquat Microb Ecol 15: 311–314
Blaabjerg V, Mouritsen KM and Finster K (1998) Diel cycles of sulphate reduction rates in sediments of a Zostera marina bed (Denmark). Aquat Microb Ecol 15: 97–
102
Blackburn TH, Nedwell DB and Wiebe WJ (1994) Active mineral cycling in a Jamaican seagrass sediment. Mar Ecol Prog
Ser 110: 233–239
Borum J and Sand-Jensen K (1996) Is total primary productivity in shallow coastal waters stimulated by nitrogen loading?
Oikos 76: 406–410
Boschker HTS, Wielemaker A, Schaub BEM and Holmer M
(2000) Limited coupling of macrophyte production and bacterial carbon cycling in the sediments of Zostera meadows.
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 203: 181–189
Bosence D (1989) Carbonate production in Florida Bay. Bull
Mar Sci 44: 419–433
Bostr¨ om C and Bonsdorff E (2000) Zoobenthic community establishment and habitat complexity – the importance of seagrass shoot-density, morphology and physical disturbance for
faunal recruitment. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 205: 123–138
Brun FG, Vergara JJ, Navarro G, Hern´ andez I and Perez-Llorens
JL (2003) Effect of shading by ulva rigida canopies on growth
and carbon balance of the seagrass Zostera noltii. Mar Ecol
Prog Ser 265: 85–96
Brylinsky M (1977) Release of dissolved organic matter by some
marine macrophytes. Mar Biol 39: 213–220
Burdige DJ and Zimmerman RC (2002) Impact of sea grass density on carbonate dissolution in Bahamian sediments. Limnol
Oceanogr 47: 1751–1763
Buss LW and Jakson JBC (1981) Planktonic food availability and
suspension-feeder abundance: Evidence of in situ depletion. J
Exp Mar Biol Ecol 49: 151–161
Buzzelli CP, Wetzel RL and Meyers MB (1999) A linked physical
and biological framework to assess biogeochemical dynamics
in a shallow estuarine system. Est Coast Shelf Sci 49: 829–851
Caffrey JM and Kemp WM (1990) Nitrogen cycling in sediments with estuarine populations of Potamogeton perfoliatus
and Zostera marina. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 66: 147–160
Canals M and Ballesteros E (1997) Production of carbonate particles by phytobenthic communities on the Mallorca–Menorca
shelf, northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Deep-Sea Res II 44:
611–629
Canfield DE, Thamdrup B and Hansen JW (1993) The anaerobic
degradation of organic-matter in Danish coastal sedimentsiron reduction, manganese reduction, and sulfate reduction.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 57: 3867–3883
Carlson PR Jr, Yarbro LA and Barber TR (1994) Relationship
of sediment sulfide to mortality of Thalassia Testudinum in
Florida Bay. Bull Mar Sci 54: 733–746
Cebrian J, Marb` a N and Duarte CM (1994) Estimating leaf age
of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile using the plastochrone interval index. Aquat Bot 49: 59–65
Cebri´ an J, Pedersen MF, Kroeger KD and Valiela I (2000) Fate
of production of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in different
stages of meadow formation. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 204: 119–130
Chambers RM, Fourqurean JW, Macko SA and Hoppenot R
(2001) Biogeochemical effects of iron availability on primary
producers in a shallow marine carbonate environment. Limnol
Oceanogr 46: 1278–1286
Christensen KK, Jensen HS, Andersen FO, Wigand C and
Holmer M (1998) Interferences between root plaque formation
and phosphorus availability for isoetids in sediments of oligotrophic lakes. Biogeochemistry 43: 107–128