Biogeochemistry of northern and central Great Barrier Reef inter-reef sediments

Nine stations from Great Barrier Reef locations on the inner, mid- and outer -shelf were sampled. Six were located in the channels bewteen the following sets of reefs: Gibson and Howie, Howie and Peart, Adelaide and Hall-Thompson, Taylor and Farquharson, Yamacutta and Taylor and Beaver; Britomart and Otter Reefs. Three stations were located leeward of the following reefs: King, Moss, and Pith Reefs.Samples were analysed for sediment grain size, pH and percentage silt, sand and clay, water content and other elements (P, S, Mn, and Fe). Sediments were classified as mud, sand, sandy mud or muddy sand.Mass sediment accumulation rates were calculated.Solute fluxes across the sediment-water interface and sulfate reduction were measured.Porewater was analysed for Cl, S, Fe, Ca, Mg, Sr, and Mn.Fluxes of O2 and sum of CO2 (mmol m-2 day-1), the ratio across the sediment-water interface and net production of sum of CO2 were calculated.Rates of dissolved inorganic nutrient flux (umol m-2 day-1) were recorded.To examine the deposition and cycling of carbon and nitrogen in carbonate sediments located between coral reefs of the northern and central sections of the Great Barrier Reef.The research is a companion to that described in the papers:Alongi DM, Pfitzner J and Trott LA (2006) Deposition and cycling of carbon and nitrogen in carbonate mud of the lagoons of Arlington and Sudbury Reefs, Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 25: 123-143.andAlongi DM, Trott LA and Pfitzner J (2007) Deposition, mineralization, and storage of carbon and nitrogen in sediments of the far northern and northern Great Barrier Reef shelf. Continental Shelf Research 27: 2595-2622.In the spatial extends the regions have been named against the station and the core numbers listed in the publication.