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Thesis
EFFECTS OF ORGANIC CARBON LOADING ON COUPLED NITRIFICATION/DENITRIFICATION IN ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS
University of West Florida
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2008
Abstract
Microbial denitrification is an important biogeochemical process in the removal of excess nitrogen from coastal marine systems. The presence of excess nutrients within estuarine environments is responsible for the development of eutrophic conditions and subsequent growth in pelagic biomass. The response of benthic microbial communities to simulated algal bloom conditions was studied using laboratory sediment incubations. Utilizing 15N tracer techniques, rates of coupled nitrification/denitrification and nutrient fluxes were measured through two levels of organic carbon additions. The addition of organic carbon substrate had a rapid and positive effect on denitrification rates as a whole, although the extent of this effect appears be dependant on the amount of carbon amended to the sediment. Incubation cores receiving the greatest amounts of organic carbon yielded N2 fluxes three to four times greater than control incubations. Microbial denitrification in these cores was greatest within 48 hours of carbon deposition. This shift in denitrification can be attributed to both autochthonous and allochthonus nitrate pathways, as 60-70% of denitrification resulted from coupled nitrification processes.
Details
- Title
- EFFECTS OF ORGANIC CARBON LOADING ON COUPLED NITRIFICATION/DENITRIFICATION IN ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida
- Format
- text
- Copyright
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
- Identifiers
- 99380090860406600
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida