Influence of a burrowing, metal-tolerant polychaete on benthic metabolism, denitrification and nitrogen regeneration in contaminated estuarine sediments

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 68; no. 1-2; pp. 30 - 37
• Main Authors: Banks, Joanne L., Ross, D. Jeff, Keough, Michael J., Macleod, Catriona K., Keane, John, Eyre, Bradley D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15-03-2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Annelida and closely related phyla: sipuncula. Echiura. Nemertinea; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Bioturbation; Brackish; Brackish water ecosystems; burrowing; burrows; Cirriformia filigera; Denitrification; Ecosystem; Ecosystem service; ecosystem services; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; estuaries; estuarine sediments; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Invertebrates; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Metal tolerance; Metals - analysis; Metals - toxicity; nitrogen; Nitrogen - analysis; Nitrogen Cycle; nitrogen dioxide; organic matter; oxidation; oxygen consumption; Polychaeta; Polychaeta - physiology; respiration; sediment contamination; South Australia; Southern Australia; Synecology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; water pollution; Australia; Oceania; South Australia; PSE, Australia, Tasmania, Derwent Estuary; Bioturbation; Denitrification; Southern Australia; Ecosystem service; Cirriformia filigera; Metal tolerance; Burrower; Brackish water environment; Polychaeta; Estuaries; Tolerance; Metal; Nitrogen; Metabolism; Sediments; Annelida; Marine environment; Regeneration; Ecosystem; Ecosystem services; Invertebrata; Benthic zone
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.01.002

► Influence of a metal-tolerant polychaete on benthic fluxes in polluted sediments. ► O2 consumption doubled; 55% due to respiration, 45% associated with burrows. ► NOx fluxes were unaffected, but there was a 3-fold increase in denitrification. ► This species delivers an important ecosystem service removing N from polluted site.
We investigated the effects of the burrowing cirratulid polychaete Cirriformia filigera (Delle Chiaje, 1828) on benthic respiration and nitrogen regeneration in metal-contaminated estuarine sediments using laboratory mesocosms. C. filigera is a dominant component of assemblages in the most severely contaminated sediments within the Derwent estuary, southern Australia. In the presence of C. filigera sediment O2 consumption doubled, with approximately 55% of this increase due to their respiration and the remaining 45% attributable to oxidation reactions and increased microbial respiration associated with burrow walls. Combined NO3 and NO2 fluxes were unaffected. The addition of labile organic matter did not affect benthic fluxes, in the presence or absence of C. filigera, presumably due to the short timeframe of the experiment and naturally enriched test sediments. The results suggest that a combination of tolerance and burrowing activity enables this species to provide an ecosystem service in the removal of N from contaminated sites.