Integrated benthic exchange dynamics and biogeochemical processes under varying environmental conditions

Abstract

Organic matter mineralization rates and burial efficiency in deep-sea sediments depend on the carbon export from the overlaying water. How deep-sea benthic systems may respond to changes of water column productivity and dynamics is yet poorly understood. Similarly, the contribution of coastal permeable sediments to global mineralization rates is not yet well quantified, due to the difficulty in accounting for complex factors that influence biogeochemical processes in sands (e.g. pore water advection and groundwater discharge). In the perspective that in situ observations of benthic systems need to be disseminated and improved in a way to be capable to determine whether a system is changing on either short/long time scales, this work represents a next step for taking full advantage of one of the techniques that have this potential, i.e. aquatic eddy correlation. Furthermore, this work advances our understanding of dynamic benthic exchange processes in deep-sea and permeable sediments. The techniques that were applied and improved during this thesis, can provide important information on the status of ecosystems, and may therefore also contribute to ecosystem based management strategies.