Protocol handbook for NICE - Nitrogen Cycling in Estuaries: a project under the EU research programme: Marine Science and Technology (MAST III)

Abstract

This protocol handbook has been prepared in order to standardise sampling, analysis\nand calculations within the project "Nitrogen Cycling in Estuaries" (NICE). The\nprotocol handbook is based on a workshop held from 30 September to 9 October,\n1996 at the Aarhus University, Marine Biology Field Station in Rønbjerg, Denmark.\nThe project aimed at investigating benthic nitrogen cycling in shallow coastal\nEuropean waters with special emphasis on nitrogen removal via denitrification. In\norder to elucidate the regulating mechanisms for denitrification on a European scale\na number of other variables and processes were also measured. Two of the major\nvariables on a European scale affecting nitrogen cycling were expected to be tidal\namplitude and climate and sites were selected to represent these differences.\nThe sediments of shallow waters are very often inhabited by benthic primary\nproducers and previous studies indicated that they have the capacity to control the\nsediment nitrogen cycling. One of the major aims of the project was therefore to\ninvestigate the role of benthic primary producers on the sediment nitrogen cycle.\nThe benthic primary producers were divided into three functional groups: the\nbenthic microalgae, the floating macroalgae and the rooted macrophytes. The\nexperimental procedures needed to measure nitrogen cycling and associated\nvariables in these three groups of primary producers are very different. Therefore\nthere is a chapter for each of the groups detailing the experimental procedures. The\nchemical analysis and calculations are the same for all the groups and they are dealt\nwith in the next chapters.