Benthic enrichment in the Georgia Bight related to Gulf Stream intrusions and estuarine outwelling [Florida]

The distribution patterns of benthic biomass (microbiota, meiofauna, and macrofauna) over the expansive continental shelf of the Georgia Bight suggest nutrient inputs from intrusions of deep Gulf Stream waters at the shelf break. Estimates of microbiota were lower (4.8 mu g adenylates/cm super(3)) in the mid shelf than in the inner (12.4 mu g/cm super(3)) and outer shelf (6.1 mu g/cm super(3)). The microbiota biomass increased southward along the shelf break towards an area of frequent intrusions off Florida. Meiofaunal biomass was highest (1267 mu g dry wt/10 cm super(2)) in the mid shelf region off Georgia which receives infrequent intrusion waters. Macrofauna biomass, however, was highest (13.2 g AFDW/m super(2)) off Florida. Both nematode and copepod biomasses were inversely related with macrofaunal biomass over the entire shelf. Only nematode biomass correlated significantly with microbiota biomass. Sediment characteristics and organic matter and chlorophyll a) contents were also measured.