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Experimental studies of influence of hydrogen sulfide on species of eelgrass (Zostera japonica and Zostera marina) in Padilla Bay, coastal waters of southeast Alaska, from 2013-06-01 to 2013-09-30 (NCEI Accession 0137907)

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Two species of eelgrass can be found in Padilla Bay, Washington (Zostera japonica and Zostera marina) and act as a bioindicators of ecosystem health. Many factors can contribute to the status of an eelgrass bed, including light, temperature, salinity, and nutrients. However, following several cases of seagrass die-off events worldwide, another factor is suspected to contribute to eelgrass health: pore-water sulfide. This study examined the relationships between Z. japonica, Z. marina, and pore-water sulfide in Padilla Bay and the effects of elevated pore-water sulfide concentrations on eelgrass. Forty sites were surveyed for eelgrass shoots and sulfide concentration profiles were measured at depths of 0 to 12 cm. A correlation was expected between eelgrass and the inventory of sulfide during August and September due to increased temperature and increased bacterial respiration as a result of higher quantities of organic matter accumulation. While the data hinted at patterns between eelgrass density and sulfide, there were no significant correlations found between Z. japonica and Z. marina and the inventory of sulfide from June 2013 through September 2013. This is perhaps due to relatively low concentrations of sulfide at the study sites and documented eelgrass tolerance to the concentration range, as well as the overall health of eelgrass in this location.

To further examine the relationship between eelgrass and sulfide, Zostera japonica and Zostera marina were grown in sediment amended with sulfide in an outdoor laboratory tank to study growth response and photosynthetic yield. Eelgrass shoots were grown for four weeks under different sulfide manipulations and shoot growth was recorded weekly. Quantum efficiency of PSII in eelgrass shoots was measured by PAM fluorometry at the conclusion of the experiment. The growth rates of Z. japonica and Z. marina were significantly reduced in treatments with elevated sulfide concentrations. Manipulated concentrations of pore-water sulfide resulted in significantly lower growth rates among Z. japonica shoots treated with moderate and high levels of sulfide. The decrease in growth in both species suggests that elevated levels of pore-water sulfide have an impact on eelgrass in Padilla Bay. The average photosynthetic yield of the shoots for Z. japonica and Z. marina was lower in shoots treated with sulfide, although this difference was not statistically significant, suggesting the drop in growth was not due to chloroplast damage.
  • Cite as: Walser, Annie; Shull, David (2015). Experimental studies of influence of hydrogen sulfide on species of eelgrass (Zostera japonica and Zostera marina) in Padilla Bay, coastal waters of southeast Alaska, from 2013-06-01 to 2013-09-30 (NCEI Accession 0137907). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0137907. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0137907
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Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
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Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 2013-06-01 to 2013-09-30
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -122.49
East: -122.48
South: 48.49
North: 48.5
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2015-11-16
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
Submission Package ID: NWFMC4
Purpose This dataset is available to the public for a wide variety of uses including scientific research and analysis.
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  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: Walser, Annie; Shull, David (2015). Experimental studies of influence of hydrogen sulfide on species of eelgrass (Zostera japonica and Zostera marina) in Padilla Bay, coastal waters of southeast Alaska, from 2013-06-01 to 2013-09-30 (NCEI Accession 0137907). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0137907. Accessed [date].
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Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Walser, Annie; Shull, David (2015). Experimental studies of influence of hydrogen sulfide on species of eelgrass (Zostera japonica and Zostera marina) in Padilla Bay, coastal waters of southeast Alaska, from 2013-06-01 to 2013-09-30 (NCEI Accession 0137907). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0137907. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
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Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2015-11-16T19:56:10Z - NCEI Accession 0137907 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Data Type: Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) (measured); Units: millimole; Observation Type: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: Sulfide electrode; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Replicates were injected with sulfide to obtain the desired 1mM concentration. Sulfide concentrations were obtained through pore-water sipping at a 6cm depth. Each sample was mixed with an equal volume of SAOB and concentrations were measured using an iso-selective electrode. Samples for all replicates were collected for 4 weeks following a 1 week acclimation period.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • fluorometer
Last Modified: 2024-03-17T15:25:42Z
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