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Carbon and nitrogen contents (total organic carbon and total nitrogen), chlorophyll-a concentrations in surface sediments and benthic sediment–water fluxes of oxygen and carbon dioxide were investigated at five stations in Lake Illawarra (Australia) to compare the sources/quality of sedimentary organic matter and the characteristics of diagenesis and benthic biogeochemical processes for different primary producers (e.g., seagrass, microphytobenthos and macroalgae) and/or sediment types (sand or mud).
The unvegetated sediments showed lower C/N ratios (with the lowest value occurring in the deep organic-rich muddy site) than the seagrass (
Ruppia or
Zostera) beds, which may be due to the contribution of microalgae (mainly diatoms) to the sedimentary organic matter pool. This was also supported by the detection of microalgal pigments in the bare sediments.
On an annual basis, seagrass beds exhibited the highest gross primary productivity (O
2 or TCO
2 fluxes), while the lowest rates occurred in the deep central basin of the Lake. Seasonally, there was a general trend of highest production in spring or summer, and lowest production in winter or autumn. Organic carbon oxidation scenarios, evaluated by either calcium carbonate dissolution or sulfate reduction models, indicated that both models can explain organic matter mineralization.
Trophic status was evaluated using different indices including benthic trophic state index, net O
2 fluxes and
P/
R ratios for Lake Illawarra, which led to similar trophic classifications in general, and also the same trends in spatial and seasonal variations. Overall, these data indicated that the Lake was heterotrophic on an annual basis, as the total community carbon respiration exceeded production, and this supported an earlier LOICZ mass balance/stoichiometric modelling conclusion.