C. Barranguet et al., MICROPHYTOBENTHOS BIOMASS AND COMMUNITY COMPOSITION STUDIED BY PIGMENT BIOMARKERS - IMPORTANCE AND FATE IN THE CARBON-CYCLE OF A TIDAL FLAT, Journal of sea research, 38(1-2), 1997, pp. 59-70
Microphytobenthos biomass and community composition vi ere studied by
the use of pigment biomarkers during one year at a tidal flat located
in the Westerschelde (SW Netherlands). Benthic microphytes appeared to
be an important carbon source in the Westerschelde, especially in the
central part of the flat with a mean biomass as high as 65 mg Chi a m
(-2) in the superficial 1 mm of sediment. Diatoms (fucoxanthin, Chl c)
dominated the population during both spring and autumn blooms. In sum
mer microphytobenthic biomass decreased, and diatoms coexisted with Cy
anobacteria (zeaxanthin) and Euglenophyceae (Chl b, zeaxanthin and lut
ein). The shift in the community composition may possibly be linked wi
th the decrease in silicon concentration in the overlying water. The d
egradation and recycling of microphytobenthic biomass was assessed by
the study of degraded chlorophyll pigments, and pigments in deeper sed
iment layers. The fate of microphytobenthos appears to include rapid b
acterial degradation in spring, episodic grazing by benthic animals in
surface layers of sediments in the centre of the flat, and export by
resuspension in sediments more exposed to currents.