MEPS 446:161-171 (2012)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09459

ABSTRACT: We conducted field surveys to determine spatio-temporal variations in the water quality (including inorganic nutrient concentration) of a coastal lagoon, Hichirippu Lagoon (3.56 km²), in Hokkaido, Japan. During a typical supply period (winter), a 24 h continuous survey was conducted to evaluate nutrient supply from the open ocean and examine nutrient utilization by microphytobenthos (MPB) based on the mass balance of a biophilic element. During February 2008, the majority of NO₃+NO₂-N was supplied from the open ocean, and the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) budget was 3.25 kmol N d^1. In March 2008, the total amount of organic nitrogen was 39.0 to 588 kmol N for MPB in the surface sediment (depth, 0.5 cm). Assuming that MPB in the surface sediment used all NO₃+NO₂-N input (3.93 kmol N d^1), their temporal division rate (NO₃+NO₂-N uptake/total amount of MPB) would be 0.01 to 0.10 d^1. Here the annual DIN budget was estimated to be 258 kmol N yr^1, which mainly depended on MPB-fixed oceanic DIN during winter.

KEY WORDS: Microphytobenthos · Coastal ecosystem · Nutrient cycles · Dissolved inorganic nutrients · Mass balance