Trace Metal Transfer Associated with the Decomposition of Detritus Derived from Estuarine Macrophytes

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Abstract
Detritus derived from seaweeds, seagrasses, mangrove leaves and marsh grass were allowed to decompose in flowing, filtered seawater for up to 150 days. Concentrations and absolute masses of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn in the detritus as a function of time were measured and average transfer rates of these 4 trace metals between detritus and seawater were calculated. Generally, metal transfer between detritus and seawater was a 2-phase process: an initial leaching phase characterized by rapid loss of many metals from detritus (especially when the detritus contained very high initial metal concentrations) and a post-leaching phase characterized by absolute transfer of metals from seawater to detritus. Rapidly decomposing seaweed detritus lost metals quickly while decay-resistant vascular plant detritus efficiently accumulated these 4 trace metals. Increasing concentrations of trace metals in detritus usually, but not always, reflected absolute metal transfers from seawater to the detrital pool.