Spring and Late Summer Phytoplankton Biomass Impact on the Coastal Sediment Microbial Community Structure.

ABSTRACT: Two annual Baltic Sea phytoplankton blooms occur in spring and summer. The bloom intensity is determined by nutrient concentrations in the water, while the period depends on weather conditions. During the course of the bloom, dead cells sink to the sediment where their degradation consumes oxygen to create hypoxic zones (< 2 mg/L dissolved oxygen). These zones prevent the establishment of benthic communities and may result in fish mortality. The aim of the study was to determine how the spring and autumn sediment chemistry and microbial community composition changed due to degradation of diatom or cyanobacterial biomass, respectively. Results from incubation of sediment cores showed some typical anaerobic microbial processes after biomass addition such as a decrease in NO₂^-

SUBMITTER: Broman E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6394492 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature