Particle fluxes over a Mediterranean seagrass bed: a one year case study

Abstract

A sediment trap experiment was carried out in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica, France) over a Posidonia oceanica seagrass bed, at a depth of 36 m. The traps collected 44 samples over a complete annual cycle and allowed a rough partition between "sinking' and "resuspended' matter. The measured annual flux of particulate matter amounted to 1.3 kg m-2, of which about 70% arose from sediment resuspension. Chemical analyses of trapped material showed seasonal variations in inorganic carbon content, organic C/N ratio and δ13C. -from Authors