Benthic Fluxes and Denitrification in Continental Shelf and Slope Sediments

将继续研究大陆架和斜坡沉积物中的底栖生物通量和底栖生物代谢。这些沉积物经常位于初级生产力高的地区，再加上到底部的运输距离短，导致沉积物的有机降雨率高。因此，大陆边缘沉积物在控制水柱分布和若干元素的全球平衡中起着重要作用。将测量与主要生物活性元素有关的底栖生物通量和过程，以评估这些过程在全球元素预算中的重要性。具体而言，将解决三个问题：1)什么是大陆架和斜坡沉积物中的碳氧化速率和相关的底栖生物通量；2)大陆架和斜坡沉积物中的反硝化作用在海洋组合氮收支中的重要性；3)生物扰动和灌溉在增强和改变底栖生物通量方面的重要性。拟议的工作包括修改现有的底栖生物通量室三脚架，使其作为自由载体使用。实地工作将集中在华盛顿州和墨西哥大陆边缘。由于后者的上覆水域缺氧，对这两个地区的比较将说明底栖大型动物在通量增强和改变方面的重要性。

Studies will be continued of benthic flux and benthic metabolism in continental shelf and slope sediments. These sediments frequently underlie areas of high primary production and this coupled with a short transit distance to the bottom results in high organic rain rates to the sediments. Consequently, continental margin sediments play an important role in controlling water column distributions and global balances of several elements. Benthic fluxes and processes related to the major bioactive elements will be measured to evaluate the importance of these processes in global elemental budgets. Specifically, three questions will be addressed: 1) what are carbon oxidation rates and associated benthic fluxes in continental shelf and slope sediments, 2) how important is denitrification in continental shelf and slope sediments in the marine combined nitrogen budget and, 3) how important are bioturbation and irrigation in enhancing and modifying benthic fluxes. The proposed work consists of modification of the existing benthic flux chamber Tripod for use as a free-vehicle. Field work will focus on the Washington State and Mexican continental margins. Due to the lack of oxygen in the overlying waters of the latter, comparison of the two areas will describe the importance of benthic macrofauna in flux enhancement and modification.