Biogenic particle reworking and bacterial-invertebrate interactions in marine Sediments

Solan, M. and Wigham, B. D. (2005) Biogenic particle reworking and bacterial-invertebrate interactions in marine Sediments. In, Coastal and Estuarine Studies: Interactions Between Macro- and Microorganisms in Marine Sediments. (Coastal and Estuarine Studies, 60) 1 ed. American Geophysical Union, pp. 105-124.

Abstract

Soft-sediment systems are subject to both biotic and abiotic processes that actively and passively redistribute particles. Changes in hydrodynamic regime, such as tides and storms, have the ability to turn over large volumes of sediment even in the deepest oceans. However, it is the role of benthic animals in the reworking of sediment particles (= biotur-bation) that may have the greatest impact on microbial communities and the biogeochem-istry of the system. While the effects of bioturbating fauna on the structure and function of sediment communities has received considerable attention, the relative contribution of the microbial community to organism-sediment relations is still not fully understood. It is known that sediment bacteria play a key role in the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, provide a nutrient source for infaunal organisms, and are also important in the binding of particles through the production of mucus. Aggregation or dissociation of particles through invertebrate faunal activity, such as feeding or burrow construction, may impact the diver-sity, structure, and function of sediment bacteria and, in turn, have a significant effect on many ecosystem processes. Here we summarise the available literature on faunal-mediated particle transport and explore the mechanistic processes by which invertebrate activity may influence bacterial assemblages.

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Contributors

Author: M. Solan

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