Benthic bacterial response to variable estuarine water inputs

Estuarine waters are known to enhance productivity in coastal environments, but little is known about the impact that nutrient rich waters can have on benthic microbial processes. After intensive surface sediment sampling in a wide coastal area impacted by river plume waters, we performed on-site microcosm experiments in which we added estuarine waters, rich in both organic and inorganic N and P, to pristine offshore sediments. This experimental approach has been conducted in different coastal areas for two consecutive years, in which the river-plume waters differed in both inorganic and organic N and P content. Benthic bacterial response (total bacterial abundance and biomass, aminopeptidase, beta-d-glucosidase and bacterial C production) was investigated in treated and non-treated sediments. All structural and functional microbial variables increased significantly after plume-water supply (within 12–24 h bacterial abundance in the sediment doubled and enzymatic activities increased up to >50%). Results indicate that inorganic N supply from plume waters was sufficient to induce a significant response in benthic bacterial abundance, independently from the presence of high and/or variable N:P ratios. However, bacterial carbon production and exo-enzymatic activities increased significantly when the supply of organic P from plume waters was associated with a decrease of organic N:P ratios. We conclude that plume waters have important effects on benthic bacterial dynamics, but the extent of their biogeochemical implications is largely dependent upon their organic P availability and on stoichiometric ratios of organic nutrients supplied by plume waters.