Sediment resuspension and deposition on seagrass leaves impedes internal plant aeration and promotes phytotoxic H2S intrusion

Brodersen, Kasper E., Hammer, Katherine J., Schrameyer, Verena, Floytrup, Anja, Rasheed, Michael, Ralph, Peter J., Kühl, Michael, and Pedersen, Ole (2017) Sediment resuspension and deposition on seagrass leaves impedes internal plant aeration and promotes phytotoxic H2S intrusion. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8. 657. pp. 1-13.

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Abstract

Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O2 fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness on leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with in situ microsensor measurements of tissue O2 and H2S concentrations. Net photosynthesis rates in leaves with fine sediment particles were down to ~20% of controls without particles, and the compensation photon irradiance increased from a span of 20–53 to 109–145 μmol photons m−2 s−1. An ~2.5-fold thicker DBL around leaves with fine sediment particles impeded O2 influx into the leaves during darkness. In situ leaf meristematic O2 concentrations of plants exposed to fine sediment particles were lower than in control plants and exhibited long time periods of complete meristematic anoxia during night-time. Insufficient internal aeration resulted in H2S intrusion into the leaf meristematic tissues when exposed to sediment resuspension even at relatively high night-time water-column O2 concentrations. Fine sediment particles that settle on seagrass leaves thus negatively affect internal tissue aeration and thereby the plants' resilience against H2S intrusion.

Item ID: 49551
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1664-462X
Additional Information:

© 2017 Brodersen, Hammer, Schrameyer, Floytrup, Rasheed, Ralph, Kühl and Pedersen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Funders: Australian Research Council (ARC), Augustinus Foundation of Denmark, P.A. Fiskers Fund, Jorck and Wife's Fund, Oticon Foundation, Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences
Projects and Grants: ARC LP 11020045
Date Deposited: 13 Jul 2017 01:18
FoR Codes: 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410404 Environmental management @ 40%
31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 30%
31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3108 Plant biology > 310801 Phycology (incl. marine grasses) @ 30%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960503 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments @ 50%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960507 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments @ 50%
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