View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto This is the AUTHORS’ ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT, for the published article, please see: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-016-0152-7 Full citation: Gammal J, Norkko J, Pilditch CA, Norkko A (2017) Coastal hypoxia and the importance of benthic macrofauna communities for ecosystem functioning. Estuaries and Coasts 40:457-468 Coastal hypoxia and the importance of benthic macrofauna communities for ecosystem functioning Johanna Gammal, Joanna Norkko, Conrad A. Pilditch, Alf Norkko Johanna Gammal (corresponding author) Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
[email protected], phone: +358-294128055, fax: +358-294128049 Joanna Norkko Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland Conrad A. Pilditch School of Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand Alf Norkko Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, PO Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland 1 Abstract Coastal ecosystems are important because of the vital ecosystem functions and services they provide, but many are threatened by eutrophication and hypoxia. This results in loss of biodiversity and subsequent changes in ecosystem functioning. Consequently, the need for empirical field studies regarding biodiversity-ecosystem functioning in coastal areas has been emphasized. The present field study quantified the links between benthic macrofaunal communities (abundance, biomass and species richness), sediment oxygen consumption and - - + 3- solute fluxes (NO3 + NO2 , NH4 , PO4 , SiO4, Fe, Mn) along a 7.5-km natural gradient of seasonal hypoxia in the coastal northern Baltic Sea.