简介：

简介：Asglobaltemperaturesincreaseanddissolvedoxygen(DO)contentdecreasesinmarinesystems,indicesassessingsedimentDOcontentinbenthichabitatsarebecomingincreasinglyuseful.Onesuchmeasureisthedepthtotheapparentredoxpotentialdiscontinuity(aRPD),atransitionofsedimentcolorthatservesasarelativemeasureofsedimentDOcontent.WeexaminedspatiotemporalvariationofaRPDdepth,andthenatureoftherelationshipsbetweenaRPDdepthandbiotic(infaunaandepibenthicpredators)andabioticvariables(sedimentproperties),aswellastheavailabilityofresources(chlorophyllaconcentration,andorganicmattercontent)intheintertidalmudflatsoftheBayofFundy,Canada.aRPDdepthvariedsignificantlythroughspaceandtime,andacombinationofbiotic(sessileanderrantinfauna,aswellasepibenthicpredators),andabiotic(exposuretimeofaplot,sedimentparticlesize,penetrability,andwatercontent)variables,aswellastheavailabilityofresources(sedimentorganicmattercontent,andchlorophyllaconcentration)werecorrelatedwithaRPDdepth.Assuch,knowledgeofbothbioticandabioticvariablesarerequiredforaholisticunderstandingofsedimentDOconditions.AbioticvariableslikelydictateasuiteofpotentialaRPDdepthconditions,whilebiotaandresourceavailability,viabioturbationandrespiration,stronglyinfluencetheobservedaRPDdepth.AsDOconditionsinmarinesystemswillcontinuetochangeduetoglobalclimatechange,elucidatingtheserelationshipsareakeyfirststepinpredictingtheinfluencedecreasingDOcontentmayhaveuponmarinebenthos.&2017InternationalResearchandTrainingCentreonErosionandSedimentation/theWorldAssociationforSedimentationandErosionResearch.PublishedbyElsevierB.V.Allrightsreserved.