Overlooked contribution of water column of estuarine turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) to nitrogen removal

Estuarine systems are important sites of eliminating reactive nitrogen delivered from land to sea. Numerous studies have focused on nitrogen removal processes in estuarine sediment, however the role of estuarine turbid water column in nitrogen removal is rarely considered. This study examined the community dynamics and activities of denitrifying and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria in water column of turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) of the Yangtze Estuary, using molecular and 15N isotope-tracing techniques.