Benthic carbon mineralization in a high-Arctic sound (Young Sound, NE-Greenland)

• Published in: Marine Ecology Progress Series
• Main Authors: Glud, Ronnie N., Risgaard-Petersen, Nils, Thamdrup, Bo, Fossing, Henrik, Rysgaard, Søren
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2000
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland
• Online Access: https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/8f41e650-36c9-11dd-a26c-000ea68e967b; https://doi.org/10.3354/meps206059

Benthic carbon mineralization was investigated along a depth transect across a sound in the high Arctic. Aerobic mineralization accounted for approximately 30% of the total degradation. Anaerobic degradation, responsible for the remaining 70%, was dominated by sulfate- and iron respiration, while denitrification and manganese respiration were of marginal importance. The total benthic degradation rate exhibited a rapidly attenuating exponential decline with increasing water depth. Permanent carbon burial accounted for approximately 50% of the total degradation rate, and was comparable to estimates from similar settings at lower latitudes. At the shallow stations, benthic infauna stimulated the benthic oxygen exchange by a factor of 1.5 to 3 relative to molecular diffusion. However, the estimated metabolic activity of the fauna itself accounted for