Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus processing by an oyster reef

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Abstract
Simultaneous annual fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus were studied on an intertidal oyster reef in Bly Creek, South Carolina, USA. We observed material fluxes every 10.2 d (33 tidal cytes) over 1 yr and used regression estimation to compute annual estimates. The reef appeared to take up 1200 g C m-2 yr-1 from tidal waters. It had an estimated net removal of 189 g N m-2 yr-1 from the water column with the majority of this nitrogen released as ammonium (125 g N m-2 yr-1), and a net uptake of 98 g P m-2 yr-1. As indicated by the C: N: P ratio of the fluxes, proportionally more phosphorus was taken up than would be expected. Oyster reefs process carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus at high rates and appear to function as retention mechanisms for nitrogen and phosphorus in estuaries.