Temporal Variability in Barrel Sponge Respiration dominating Conch Reef, FL Keys: Surprises from a Cabled Observatory

Surprises from a Cabled Observatory…

• That it all worked

• That we all survived diving the 6+ ft seas (and the dive ladder)

• That we were able to give this talk

and

• What in the heck are those sponges doing?

8.00

7.95

7.90

7.85

8.05

8.10

8.15

16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00Time (local – July 13-14, 2010)

5 m 0.05 msampling height above bottom =

pH

mCO3 (μM) = 175; Ω-arag = 2.6

mCO3 (μM) = 270; Ω-arag = 4.2

Legend: data collection height above bottom

5.0 m 1.5 m 0.05 m

21:00 00:00 03:0018:00

Time (local – July 13-14, 2010)

Denitrification

ANAMMOX

15NO3- 15N2O 30N2

15NH4+ + 14NO2

- → 29N2 + 2H2O

AADI Seaguard sensor “string” system

A

0

50

100

150

200

O2

(uM

)

6:00 AM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 12:00 AM 6:00 AM

June 11-12, 2010

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Pum

ping

Rat

e (c

m/s

)

Left Scale: O2 Ambient (uM) O2 Excurrent (uM)Right Scale: u (120s LPF)

Primary Investigators

UNC Chapel Hill: Chris Martens; Niels Lindquist; Howard Mendlovitz; Patrick Gibson; Dan Hoer; Meredith Kintzing

Duke University: Jim Hench

University of Hawaii: Brian Popp

U. South Florida: Pam Hallock-Muller; Bob Byrne; Sherwood Liu

NURC-Key Largo: Aquarius Reef Base and Dayboat staff

Funding and Field SupportChemical Oceanography Program NSF; Aquarius Reef Base NURC- UNCW

Private Sector Partners

Aanderaa Data Instruments; Monitor Instruments LLC;

WHOI: Rich Camilli

DIN SOURCE

DIN FLUXmmol m-2d-1 SITE REF.

coralsediment

coralcavities

sediment

sponge –P. zeai

Conch Reefsponges

1.7

1.4

0.6

5.8-10.9

13.4

GBR

Caribbean

Hawaii

Caribbean

FL Keys

Capone et al.1992

Scheffers et al.2004

Stimson &Larned 2000

Diaz & Ward1997

Southwell et al 2008a L&O

AADI Seaguard sensor “string” system

A

Denitrification

ANAMMOX

15NO3- 15N2O 30N2

15NH4+ + 14NO2

- → 29N2 + 2H2O

Denitrification

• Abundant organic matter

• Available NO3 & NH4• Low oxygen

NO3- N2O N2

Factors Ircinia felix - tetrazolium salts

NH4+ + NO2

- → N2 + 2H2O

Anammox

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

O2

(uM

)

07/09/2010 07/10/2010 07/11/2010 07/12/2010 07/13/2010July 9-13, 2010

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

u (c

m/s

)

Left Scale: O2 Ambient (uM) O2 Excurrent (uM)

Right Scale: u (120s LPF)