Authors / CoAuthors
Heggie, D.T. | Radke, L. | Skyring, G. | Berelson, W. | Fellows, M.
Abstract
The benthic silicate and oxygen fluxes from Moreton Bay sediments were positively correlated (R2 =0.99) and the silicate to organic carbon flux ratio of 0.14 was similar to that for marine diatoms (0.13). The majority (about 75%) of the benthic silicate flux was attributed to the degradation of fresh diatomaceous detritus and the remainder could be contributed from clay (smectite) dissolution in the warm waters (30oC) during these summer months. Biogenic silica in the upper 2 cm of Moreton Bay sediments was enriched (Si:C = 0.35 +/- 0.25) with respect to the Si:C ratio (0.13 +/- 0.04) of dominant diatom populations, and we suggest that this enrichment is the result of the deposition of Si-enriched faecal pellets and diatom aggregates to the sediments. Combined hydrodynamic and biogeochemical processes resulted in distributions of biogenic silica and total organic carbon in the surface sediments that were spatially coincident. A silicate budget for Moreton Bay indicated the following. 1. The benthic input of silicate was balanced approximately by the silicate load to the sediments from primary productivity. 2. Silicate was recycled through diatomaceous phytoplankton about 18 times before it was lost to the ocean. 3. The export of silicate to the Pacific Ocean was about the same as the terrestrial input.
Product Type
nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
47597
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
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Keywords
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- External PublicationArticle
- ( Theme )
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- marine
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- AU-QLD
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
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- Earth Sciences
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- Published_Internal
Publication Date
2003-01-01T00:00:00
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unknown
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geoscientificInformation
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Unknown
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[-27.05, -27.0, 152.95, 153.0]
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