Sedimentary concentrations of redox-sensitive trace metals are widely used to reconstruct past ocean redox conditions. Vanadium (V) has great potential as a (paleo)redox proxy, due to its strong redox-dependent speciation (+III, +IV, +V) and the increased sedimentary sequestration of its more reduced species. The geochemistry of V in sulfide-rich marine environments is not yet well understood, however, hampering the use of V as a (paleo)redox proxy. Here, we present V data for two coastal systems, with bottom water redox conditions ranging from oxic to euxinic, to further constrain V geochemistry. Our sedimentary record from a eutrophic coastal marine basin (Scharendijke basin, Lake Grevelingen, the Netherlands), covering the last decade, shows distinct enrichments in molybdenum (Mo) and organic carbon (Corg) but depletions in V during seasonal bottom water euxinia, which can be discerned due to the exceptionally high sedimentation rate at our study site (up to 20 cm yr−1). A seasonal study for the same coastal basin confirms this trend and reveals the accumulation of V, iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in the water column during summer euxinia. We conclude that the slow kinetics of V reduction to V(III) and subsequent precipitation as (oxy)hydroxide V(OH)3(s) likely provide the opportunity for V to escape sedimentary sequestration during summer euxinia, resulting in the observed sedimentary V depletion. Sediments from three sites with contrasting bottom water redox conditions (oxic, seasonally hypoxic, euxinic) in the eutrophic Stockholm Archipelago, show a similar trend as that of Lake Grevelingen, with decreasing V concentrations and increasing Mo and Corg concentrations as bottom water conditions become more reducing. This confirms that our findings for Lake Grevelingen are not site-specific and are likely a generic feature of euxinic coastal systems with high sulfide concentrations (> 0.5 mmol L−1) near the sediment surface and high rates of anaerobic degradation of organic matter. Our results show that co-occurring sedimentary Mo and Corg enrichments and V depletion (or absence or suppression of an enrichment) are indicators of strongly sulfidic conditions in such settings. Finally, we show that maxima in sedimentary molar V/Mn ratios correlate with strongly reducing conditions. This finding contrasts with prior work on V/Mn ratios as a (paleo)redox proxy, implying that further research is necessary.

Coastal ecosystems dominate oceanic methane (CH₄) emissions. However, there is limited knowledge about how biotic interactions between infauna and aerobic methanotrophs (i.e. CH₄ oxidizing bacteria) drive the spatial–temporal dynamics of these emissions. Here, we investigated the role of meio- and macrofauna in mediating CH₄ sediment–water fluxes and aerobic methanotrophic activity that can oxidize significant portions of CH₄. We show that macrofauna increases CH₄ fluxes by enhancing vertical solute transport through bioturbation, but this effect is somewhat offset by high meiofauna abundance. The increase in CH₄ flux reduces CH₄ pore-water availability, resulting in lower abundance and activity of aerobic methanotrophs, an effect that counterbalances the potential stimulation of these bacteria by higher oxygen flux to the sediment via bioturbation. These findings indicate that a larger than previously thought portion of CH₄ emissions from coastal ecosystems is due to faunal activity and multiple complex interactions with methanotrophs. 

Excessive nutrient inputs have caused eutrophication of coastal ecosystems worldwide, triggering extensive algal blooms, oxygen-depletion, and collapse of local fisheries. In the Baltic Sea, inputs of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have been significantly reduced since the 1980s, but the environmental state shows little to no signs of recovery. However, a simulation with continued high loads from the mid-1980s demonstrates that while the state has not improved yet, it would be considerably worse today without the load reductions (e.g., 82% larger oxygen-free bottom areas and 104% and 58% higher wintertime concentrations of inorganic N and P, respectively, in the Baltic Proper). Additional simulations with current nutrient loads continuing into the future indicate that conditions will likely improve in the coming decades. This study underscores the significance of acting on early warning signs of eutrophication, and furthermore how sustained efforts to decrease nutrient loads can mitigate the severity of eutrophication.

Coastal areas are an important source of methane (CH4). However, the exact origins of CH4 in the surface waters of coastal regions, which in turn drive sea-air emissions, remain uncertain. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current and future climate change feedbacks, it is crucial to identify these CH4 sources and processes that regulate its formation and oxidation. This study investigated coastal CH4 dynamics by comparing water column data from six stations located in the brackish Tvärminne Archipelago, Baltic Sea. The sediment biogeochemistry and microbiology were further investigated at two stations (i.e., nearshore and offshore). These stations differed in terms of stratification, bottom water redox conditions, and organic matter loading. At the nearshore station, CH4 diffusion from the sediment into the water column was negligible, because nearly all CH4 was oxidized within the upper sediment column before reaching the sediment surface. On the other hand, at the offshore station, there was significant benthic diffusion of CH4, albeit the majority underwent oxidation before reaching the sediment-water interface, due to shoaling of the sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ). The potential contribution of CH4 production in the water column was evaluated and was found to be negligible. After examining the isotopic signatures of δ13C-CH4 across the sediment and water column, it became apparent that the surface water δ13C-CH4 values observed in areas with thermal stratification could not be explained by diffusion, advective fluxes, nor production in the water column. In fact, these values bore a remarkable resemblance to those detected below the SMTZ. This supports the hypothesis that the source of CH4 in surface waters is more likely to originate from ebullition than diffusion in stratified brackish coastal systems.

Coastal environments are a major source of marine methane in the atmosphere. Eutrophication and deoxygenation have the potential to amplify the coastal methane emissions. Here, we investigate methane dynamics in the eutrophic Stockholm Archipelago. We cover a range of sites with contrasting water column redox conditions and rates of organic matter degradation, with the latter reflected by the depth of the sulfate–methane transition zone (SMTZ) in the sediment. We find the highest benthic release of methane (2.2–8.6 mmol m^–2 d^–1) at sites where the SMTZ is located close to the sediment–water interface (2–10 cm). A large proportion of methane is removed in the water column via aerobic or anaerobic microbial pathways. At many locations, water column methane is highly depleted in ¹³C, pointing toward substantial bubble dissolution. Calculated and measured rates of methane release to the atmosphere range from 0.03 to 0.4 mmol m^–2 d^–1 and from 0.1 to 1.7 mmol m^–2 d^–1, respectively, with the highest fluxes at locations with a shallow SMTZ and anoxic and sulfidic bottom waters. Taken together, our results show that sites suffering most from both eutrophication and deoxygenation are hotspots of coastal marine methane emissions.

The expansion of transient and permanent coastal benthic anoxia is one of the most severe problems for the coastal ocean globally. We report frequent, hidden hypoxia in the bottom 5 cm of the water column of a coastal site in the central Baltic Sea by continuous high-resolution profiling of oxygen (O2) directly above the sediment surface. This hypoxia stood in stark contrast to 30-yr O2 monitoring records at this site that suggest apparent continuous well-oxygenated conditions. In situ measurements showed highly dynamic conditions in the bottom 30 cm recording frequent gradual and abrupt changes between normoxic (> 63 μmol L−1) and hypoxic (< 63 μmol L−1) conditions that would remain undetectable by conventional bottom water O2 monitoring. The temporal variability of these “hidden” hypoxia is tied to the dynamic current field and to changes in O2 consumption following resuspension events. Our observations suggest that transient benthic hypoxia is much more common than routine monitoring data indicate.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is an important process responsible for transporting terrestrial dissolved chemical substances into the coastal ocean, thereby impacting the marine ecosystem. Despites its significance, there are few studies addressing SGD in the northern Baltic Sea. Here we investigate the potential occurrence of SGD in an area characterized by seafloor terraces formed in varved glacial clay located around Fifång Island, Southern Stockholm Archipelago. We analyzed 222Rn activity and porewater geochemistry in both marine and terrestrial sediment cores retrieved from Fifång Island and its surrounding offshore areas. Results from 222Rn mass-balance calculations, water isotopes, salinity, chloride concentration, and dating (including 14C and helium-tritium dating) indicate that modern groundwater flows through varved glacial clay layers and fractured rocks on Fifång Island and discharges into Fifång Bay. Additionally, the offshore cores reveal a saline groundwater source that, dating of the dissolved inorganic carbon, appears systematically younger than the hosting clay varves dated using the Swedish clay varve chronology. Acoustic blanking in our acquired sub-bottom profiles may be related to this fluid migration. The occurrence of this saline groundwater seems to be independent from the distance to the submarine terraces. Collectively, our study confirms the occurrence of submarine groundwater in the varved glacial clay close to Fifång Island and further offshore. Our findings help establish the significance of submarine groundwater discharge in influencing the past and present coastal environment in the Baltic Sea region.

Sea-ice dynamics can affect carbon cycling in polar oceans, with sea-ice ikaite acting as a potentially important carbon pump. However, there is no large-scale direct field evidence to support this. Here we used a unique data set that combined continuous measurements of atmospheric and water CO2 concentrations with water chemistry data collected over 1,200 km along the East Siberian Sea, the widest Arctic shelf sea. Our results reveal large spatial heterogeneity of sea-ice ikaite contents, which directly interact with carbonate chemistry in the water column. Our findings demonstrate that the CO2 drawdown by sea-ice ikaite dissolution could be as important as that by primary production. We suggest that the role of ikaite in regulating the seasonal carbon cycle on a regional scale could be more important than we previously thought. Effects of the warmer climate on sea ice loss might also play a role in the ikaite inventory.

We have constructed a nutrient fate model for the Baltic Sea that links anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the catchment to the dynamics of waterborne loads to the Baltic Sea, covering the time-period from 1900 to present. During this period, nutrient inputs to the drainage basin approximately tripled to a peak in the 1980s, after which they declined. Our model accounts for temporary nutrient storage on land and in inland waters, forming active legacy pools that contribute to nutrient export to the Baltic Sea, and for nutrient removal by terrestrial and aquatic sinks. The model indicates that response times to changes in anthropogenic nutrient inputs to the drainage basin are approximately 4 years for riverine nitrogen and 6–18 years for riverine phosphorus loads. Mineral fertilizer use in agriculture dominates nutrient inputs to the drainage basin, whereas the composition of riverine loads also depends on the collection and treatment of domestic sewage. Removal by terrestrial and aquatic nutrient sinks was the dominant fate of both nitrogen and phosphorus in our model. The amount of nutrients currently stored in legacy pools is therefore much smaller than what the difference between cumulative nutrient inputs to the catchment and the export to the sea suggests. Nevertheless, mobilization from these storage pools is the primary contribution to current anthropogenic riverine nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea. For phosphorus, the legacy effects of past reductions in inputs to the catchment can entail a significant, yet unrealized contribution toward the load reductions stipulated by Baltic Sea management plans. Therefore, accounting for nutrient storage, time-lags, and legacy effects could notably reduce the need for additional future mitigation measures.

Benthic macrofauna modifies carbon and nutrient retention and recycling processes in coastal habitats. However, the contribution of benthic consumers to carbon and nutrient storage and recycling shows variation over spatial scales, as the benthic community composition changes in response to differences in environmental conditions. By sampling both shallow sandy and deep muddy sediments across a land-to-sea gradient in the northern Baltic Sea, we explored if benthic community composition, stoichiometry and process rates change in response to alterations in environmental conditions and food sources. Our results show that benthic faunal biomass, C, N, and P stocks, respiration rate and secondary production increase across the land-to-sea gradient in response to higher resource quality towards the open sea. The seston δ¹³C indicated terrestrial runoff and δ¹⁵N sewage input at the innermost study sites, whereas more fresh marine organic matter towards the open sea boosted benthic faunal carbon storage, respiration rate, and secondary production, that is, the generation of consumer biomass, which are essential processes for carbon turnover in this coastal ecosystem. Also, biological factors such as increasing species richness and decreasing biomass dominance of the clam Macoma balthica were significant in predicting benthic faunal C, N, and P stocks and process rates, especially at sandy sites. Interestingly, despite the variation in food sources, the benthic faunal C:N:P ratios remained stable across the gradient. Our results prove that human activities in the coastal area can influence the important links between biodiversity, structure, and process rates of benthic communities by modifying the balance of available resources, therefore hampering the functioning of coastal ecosystems.