Denitrification activity is closely linked to the total ambient Fe concentration in mangrove sediments of Goa, India

Denitrification activity (DNT) and associated environmental parameters were examined in two mangrove ecosystems of Goa, India – the relatively unimpacted Tuvem and the anthropogenically-influenced Divar. Sampling was carried out at every 2 cm interval within the 0–10 cm depth range to determine (1) seasonal (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon) down-core variation in DNT (2) assess the environmental factors influencing the DNT and (3) to build predictive models for benthic DNT. Denitrification generally decreased with depth and showed marked seasonal variation at both the locations. Denitrification peaked during the pre-monsoon occurring at a rate of up to 21.00 ± 12.84 nmol N2O g−1 h−1 within 0–4 cm at both the locations. Further, DNT at pre-monsoon was significantly influenced by Fe content at Tuvem and Divar suggesting Fe-mediated nitrate respiration. The influence of other limiting substrates such as NO 3 − and NO 2 − was most important during the monsoon and post-monsoon especially at Divar. The multiple regression models developed could predict 67–98% of the observed variability in DNT through the seasons. About 6–9 environmental variables were required to relatively well-predict DNT in these sediments with the complexity governing DNT decreasing from pre-monsoon to post-monsoon. Our results reveal that seasonal dynamics of DNT in tropical mangrove sediments are closely linked to the total Fe at the prevailing ambient concentration in both the systems.