Journal article
Light and tidal inundation and exposure regulate the sensitivity of estuarine benthic greenhouse gas fluxes to warming and ocean acidification
Limnology and oceanography, Vol.71(4), pp.1-15
04/2026
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Abstract
Coastal sediments are globally significant sources and sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs), yet their contributions to climate feedbacks of warming and ocean acidification remain uncertain, in part due to limited understanding of short‐term variability. Here, we use a fully factorial laboratory experiment to disentangle how diel light–dark and tidal inundation and exposure interact with warming and elevated p CO 2 to regulate benthic fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O in estuarine sediments, alongside concurrent changes in benthic oxygen exchange. While warming and p CO 2 exerted strong independent effects, their influence was shaped by diel and tidal fluctuations in redox conditions and oxygen availability, reflecting shifts in metabolic balance between primary production and respiration. Light consistently limited CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O emissions through enhanced autotrophic uptake and oxygenation, while dark promoted anaerobic production pathways. N 2 O showed the greatest sensitivity to the combined effects of climate forcing and redox dynamics. Despite warming‐driven stimulation of benthic heterotrophy and the production of all GHGs, CO 2 remained the dominant greenhouse gas, with minimal CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes due to the limited organic matter availability within the sediment. This reflects the strong redox controls on CH 4 and N 2 O production, which relies on both oxygen depletion and organic substrate supply. Our findings emphasize that fine‐scale temporal variability can significantly shape both the magnitude and climate sensitivity of benthic GHG emissions. Capturing these fine‐scale controls is essential for accurately modeling the contributions of estuarine sediments to global GHG budgets and their feedbacks.
Details
- Title
- Light and tidal inundation and exposure regulate the sensitivity of estuarine benthic greenhouse gas fluxes to warming and ocean acidification
- Creators
- Michelle N. Simone - University of AucklandJoanne M. Oakes - Southern Cross UniversityKai G. Schulz - Southern Cross UniversityBradley D. Eyre - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Limnology and oceanography, Vol.71(4), pp.1-15
- Publisher
- Wiley; HOBOKEN
- Grant note
- This work was supported in the form of an SESE Postgraduate Scholarship from Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia and ARC (Australia Research Council) Discovery projects DP150102092 and DP160100248. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Auckland, as part of the Wiley - The University of Auckland agreement via the Council of Australasian University Librarians.
- Identifiers
- 991013372761702368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article