Abstract
Sediment oxygen demand and environmental variables were measured with field-deployed metabolism core chambers in various sites around the Tampa Bay area in the summers of 2015 and 2016. Each chamber consisted of a 15.24 cm diameter (20.32 cm length) acrylic tube, capped at the top with a custom-built fitting for water stirring and HOBO logger placement. For each chamber deployed, dissolved oxygen and water temperature data were collected from within the chamber. Light meters were deployed in parallel with the chambers to detect ambient light penetration into the water column. From these data, sediment oxygen consumption (mmol O2/m2/day) was calculated. These measurements can be correlated with average temperature, light, time of day, habitat type, site, and sampling year. These data can also be associated with infaunal abundances and characteristics in a related Tampa dataset (GRIIDC UDI: R4.x262.000:0015).
Purpose
Sediment oxygen demand is an aggregate measurement of numerous ecosystem functions, including photosynthesis by seagrasses and benthic microalgae, respiration by a diverse microbial community, respiration by meio- and macro-fauna, and enhanced microbial metabolism due to irrigation by macrofauna. We measured sediment oxygen demand at three sites in Tampa Bay, eastern Gulf of Mexico, as a non-oil-contaminated reference site with which to compare with oil-contaminated sites in the Chandeleur Islands (contamination due to the Deep Water Horizon, DWH, oil spill). Oxygen demand was measured using light and dark custom-built metabolism chambers. Sampling was conducted once per year in the summer season (July 2015, June 2016). Results are being analyzed for dependence on ambient oxygen concentration, sediment PAH at the 3 sites, annual differences, and infaunal community biomass. This study aims to provide a non-contaminated reference dataset with which to compare with oiled sites in an effort to assess the impact of oil contamination on sediment ecosystem function in the context of natural daily, seasonal, and annual variability in a dynamic ecosystem.
DOI: doi:10.7266/N7X0654X
Suggested Citation
Susan Bell. 2017. Sediment oxygen demand in shallow water habitats around Tampa Bay in the Summers of 2015 and 2016. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7X0654X
Funded by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)
Funding cycle: RFP-IV
Research group: Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)
