Sediment chlorophyll-a, pheophytin, biogenic silica, and carbohydrate content (EPS) from the Rowley River mudflat in September 2012, Rowley, MA

Tidal flats are critical components of coastal estuarine ecosystems characterized by high rates of benthic primary productivity and biogeochemical cycling. In order to investigate the impact of anthropogenic nutrient loading on tidal flat biogeochemistry we carried out a two-week fertilization experiment. Throughout the course of the study we conducted two light-dark, whole-core incubations and took measurements of three indicators of microphytobenthos activity in addition to quantifying the resident eastern mud snail (Ilyanassa obsoleta) population.