Sulfate reduction in the salt marshes at Sapelo Island, Georgia

Journal Article · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1982 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1983.28.1.0070· OSTI ID:5149604

Howarth, R W ^[1]; Giblin, A

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1. Ecosystems Center, Woods Hole, MA

Sulfate reduction rates were measured in stands of Spartina alterniflora at Sapelo Island, Georgia, in November 1980 by injecting tracer amounts of /sup 35/SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ into cores, incubating overnight, and analyzing for the incorporation of /sup 35/S into reduced sulfur compounds. Qualitatively, sulfate reduction in the Georgia marsh is very similar to that in the Massachusetts marshes the authors have studied: FeS/sup 2/ (pyrite or marcasite) is the major end product. Lesser amounts of soluble sulfides, iron monosulfides, and elemental sulfur are also formed. The rate of sulfate reduction (determined by the same method)is significantly lower during November in Georgia than in the Great Sippewissett Marsh in Massachusetts, 0.090 vs. 0.27 moles SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/xm/sup -2/xd/sup -1/ in stands of short Spartina. The lower rates in Georgia may reflect a lower rate of organic carbon input by below ground production. Sulfate reduction appears to be the major form of respiration in the sediments of salt marshes in Georgia as well as in Massachusetts.

• OSTI ID: 5149604
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 28:1; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520101* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOSYSTEMS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IV
GEORGIA
GRASS
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IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MARSHES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
REDUCTION
SEDIMENTS
SHORES
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SULFATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR 35
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
USA
WATER CHEMISTRY
WETLANDS