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Home : Fields of activity : Natural Events Study : hypoxia
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Natural Events Study - Hypoxia in the Adriatic Sea |
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Hypoxia in the Adriatic SeaIn shallow seas the sediments play an important role in organic matter degradation and nutrient recycling in aquatic ecosystems. They are especially important in coastal systems because of the magnitude and origin of organic matter and sediment inputs. It is on the continental margin that 30 to 50% of global primary production occurs and most terrestrially derived particulate organic matter is deposited. The extent to which organic matter that reaches bottom sediments is reoxidized or buried affects the productivity and quality of the overlying water and global C and N budgets. While an extensive database on benthic metabolism exists for estuarine coastal systems, a relative paucity of studies limits our understanding of the importance of benthic metabolism on continental shelves. During the decomposition of organic matter, oxygen and other terminal electron acceptors are consumed and inorganic nutrients are remineralized. In stratified water columns, benthic oxygen consumption can contribute to hypoxia of bottom waters, which can affect habitat quality and organic matter processing.
Bottom dissolved oxygen (ml l-1) distribution; sampling dates are reported within each map.
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Physical and Chemical Oceanography Unit Address
National Research Council
(CNR) Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR) - Phisical and Chemical Oceanography Unit
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URL: www.ismaran.it/ocean |