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Deposit-feeding worms control subsurface ecosystem functioning in intertidal sediment with strong physical forcing.

Longhui Deng1, Christof Meile2, Annika Fiskal1

  • 1Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich), Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

PNAS Nexus
|January 30, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Macrofauna, like deposit-feeding worms, significantly shape intertidal sand ecosystems. Worms control microbial communities and carbon cycling in deeper sediments, overriding physical forces like waves and tides.

Keywords:
bioturbationcarbon cyclingcommunity assemblyhydrodynamicsorganismal networks

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Area of Science:

  • Marine ecology
  • Geochemistry
  • Microbial ecology

Background:

  • Intertidal sands are crucial for global carbon cycling, influenced by hydrodynamics and macrofauna.
  • The distinct roles of physical forces versus biological activity in these dynamic environments are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relative impacts of hydrodynamic forces and macrofaunal activity on the structure and function of microbial communities in intertidal sands.
  • To compare geochemical gradients and microbial gene sequences in areas with and without dominant subsurface deposit-feeding worms (Abarenicola pacifica).

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of geochemical profiles in intertidal sand sediments.
  • Sequencing of bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic genes to assess microbial community composition and diversity.
  • Field sampling in areas with and without Abarenicola pacifica.

Main Results:

  • Hydrodynamic forces primarily influence surface sediment communities.
  • Deposit-feeding worms significantly reduce microbial abundance and richness in deeper sediments through selective particle feeding.
  • Deeper sediments show decreased microbial network connectivity and increased abundance of clades involved in refractory organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling (nitrogen, sulfur).

Conclusions:

  • Macrofaunal activity is the dominant driver of biological community structure and function in deeper intertidal sand layers.
  • Worm-mediated alterations in microbial communities critically influence carbon cycling below the physically controlled surface layer.