Oxygen Consumption and Sulfate Reduction in Vegetated Coastal Habitats: Effects of Physical Disturbance

Abstract

Sediment Biogeochemistry in Vegetated Coastal Habitats anoxic conditions, especially in mangrove and seagrass sediments, as well as sediment acidification with depth, likely decreased microbial remineralisation rates of sedimentary carbon. However, physical disturbance of sediments and thereby exposure of deeper sediments to O 2 seemed to stimulate aerobic metabolism in the exposed surface layers, likely reducing carbon stocks in VCHs.