COS 115-9
"Push-pull" assays in the field reveal coupled sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycling in salt marsh sediment

Thursday, August 13, 2015: 4:20 PM
302, Baltimore Convention Center
Suzanne M. Thomas, Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Zoe G. Cardon, Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Stefan Sievert, Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
Francois Thomas, CNRS- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
Jane Tucker, The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Anne E. Giblin, The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Background/Question/Methods

Salt marshes are extraordinarily productive ecosystems found in estuaries worldwide, hosting intensive sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycling. Although it has been hypothesized that in this environment sulfur oxidation may be important for energy flow, there is little direct data.  At the heart of these hypothesized interactions are sulfur oxidizing microbes.  Sulfur oxidizers can catalyze sulfide (re-)oxidation with nitrate as the electron acceptor under anaerobic conditions, producing ammonium (via DNRA) or dinitrogen gas (via denitrification).  The form of sulfur present in marsh systems influences whether autotrophic or heterotrophic processes transform nitrate either to dinitrogen gas or ammonium through DNRA.  To examine the fate of nitrate and interactions with sulfur, we conducted a series of “push-pull” experiments in marsh sediment at the Plum Island Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research site in Massachusetts.  Porewater was extracted anoxically and amended with  isotopically labeled nitrate (15N) and bicarbonate (13C).  Porewater was pumped back into the sediment and then withdrawn at intervals of several hours.  Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon were measured as well as isotopes of nitrogen gas and ammonium.  These push-pull experiments were conducted at several times during the growing season, to coincide with salt marsh grass initial growth (May), maximum growth (July), flowering (August), and senescence (October). 

Results/Conclusions

Porewater sulfides were very low, to non-detectable in May and increased during the summer.  During July and August values at 5 cm were about 1 mM and nearly twice as high at 10 cm. Values in October were only slightly higher than summer values at 5 cm but higher at depth. This progression was expected.  Potential denitrification rates increased over the summer. DNRA was always detected.