Articles | Volume 18, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2539-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2539-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Apr 2021
Research article |
| 22 Apr 2021
| 22 Apr 2021
Impact of bottom trawling on sediment biogeochemistry: a modelling approach
Emil De Borger
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research
Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Department of
Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, Korringaweg 7, P.O. Box
140, 4401 NT Yerseke, the Netherlands
Justin Tiano
Department of
Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, Korringaweg 7, P.O. Box
140, 4401 NT Yerseke, the Netherlands
Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research
Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ulrike Braeckman
Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research
Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp
Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research,
IJmuiden, the Netherlands
Karline Soetaert
Department of
Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, Korringaweg 7, P.O. Box
140, 4401 NT Yerseke, the Netherlands
Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research
Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Marius Buydens, Emil De Borger, Lorenz Meire, Samuel Bodé, Antonio Schirone, Karline Soetaert, Ann Vanreusel, and Ulrike Braeckman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-102, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-102, 2025
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Sarah Paradis, Justin Tiano, Emil De Borger, Antonio Pusceddu, Clare Bradshaw, Claudia Ennas, Claudia Morys, and Marija Sciberras
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DISOM is a database that compiles data of 71 independent studies that assess the effect of demersal fisheries on sedimentological and biogeochemical properties. This database also provides crucial metadata (i.e. environmental and fishing descriptors) needed to understand the effects of demersal fisheries in a global context.
Anna-Selma van der Kaaden, Dick van Oevelen, Christian Mohn, Karline Soetaert, Max Rietkerk, Johan van de Koppel, and Theo Gerkema
Ocean Sci., 20, 569–587, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-569-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-569-2024, 2024
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Cold-water corals (CWCs) and tidal waves in the interior of the ocean have been connected in case studies. We demonstrate this connection globally using hydrodynamic simulations and a CWC database. Internal-tide generation shows a similar depth pattern with slope steepness and latitude as CWCs. Our results suggest that internal-tide generation can be a useful predictor of CWC habitat and that current CWC habitats might change following climate-change-related shoaling of internal-tide generation.
Anna-Selma van der Kaaden, Sandra R. Maier, Siluo Chen, Laurence H. De Clippele, Evert de Froe, Theo Gerkema, Johan van de Koppel, Furu Mienis, Christian Mohn, Max Rietkerk, Karline Soetaert, and Dick van Oevelen
Biogeosciences, 21, 973–992, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-973-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-973-2024, 2024
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Combining hydrodynamic simulations and annotated videos, we separated which hydrodynamic variables that determine reef cover are engineered by cold-water corals and which are not. Around coral mounds, hydrodynamic zones seem to create a typical reef zonation, restricting corals from moving deeper (the expected response to climate warming). But non-engineered downward velocities in winter (e.g. deep winter mixing) seem more important for coral reef growth than coral engineering.
Caroline Ulses, Claude Estournel, Patrick Marsaleix, Karline Soetaert, Marine Fourrier, Laurent Coppola, Dominique Lefèvre, Franck Touratier, Catherine Goyet, Véronique Guglielmi, Fayçal Kessouri, Pierre Testor, and Xavier Durrieu de Madron
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Stanley I. Nmor, Eric Viollier, Lucie Pastor, Bruno Lansard, Christophe Rabouille, and Karline Soetaert
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The coastal marine environment serves as a transition zone in the land–ocean continuum and is susceptible to episodic phenomena such as flash floods, which cause massive organic matter deposition. Here, we present a model of sediment early diagenesis that explicitly describes this type of deposition while also incorporating unique flood deposit characteristics. This model can be used to investigate the temporal evolution of marine sediments following abrupt changes in environmental conditions.
Justin C. Tiano, Jochen Depestele, Gert Van Hoey, João Fernandes, Pieter van Rijswijk, and Karline Soetaert
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This study gives an assessment of bottom trawling on physical, chemical, and biological characteristics in a location known for its strong currents and variable habitats. Although trawl gears only removed the top 1 cm of the seabed surface, impacts on reef-building tubeworms significantly decreased carbon and nutrient cycling. Lighter trawls slightly reduced the impact on fauna and nutrients. Tubeworms were strongly linked to biogeochemical and faunal aspects before but not after trawling.
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The biogeochemical behaviour of shallow reef communities is quantified to better understand the impact of habitat degradation and species composition shifts on reef functioning. The reef communities investigated barely support reef functions that are usually ascribed to conventional coral reefs, and the overall biogeochemical behaviour is found to be similar regardless of substrate type. This suggests a decrease in functional diversity which may therefore limit services provided by this reef.
Chiu H. Cheng, Jaco C. de Smit, Greg S. Fivash, Suzanne J. M. H. Hulscher, Bas W. Borsje, and Karline Soetaert
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1335–1346, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1335-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1335-2021, 2021
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Shells are biogenic particles that are widespread throughout natural sandy environments and can affect the bed roughness and seabed erodibility. As studies are presently lacking, we experimentally measured ripple formation and migration using natural sand with increasing volumes of shell material under unidirectional flow in a racetrack flume. We show that shells expedite the onset of sediment transport, reduce ripple dimensions and slow their migration rate.
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Short summary
Bottom trawling alters benthic mineralization: the recycling of organic material (OM) to free nutrients. To better understand how this occurs, trawling events were added to a model of seafloor OM recycling. Results show that bottom trawling reduces OM and free nutrients in sediments through direct removal thereof and of fauna which transport OM to deeper sediment layers protected from fishing. Our results support temporospatial trawl restrictions to allow key sediment functions to recover.
Bottom trawling alters benthic mineralization: the recycling of organic material (OM) to free...
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