The Wax Lake Delta (WLD) is one of the few areas of land gain in coastal Louisiana and provides an analog for a naturally developing subdelta created by a river diversion. This study examined the spatial and temporal variability of benthic respiration to broaden our current understanding of the biogeochemical functioning of diversion-created estuarine systems. Spatial and seasonal benthic respiration rates were quantified during distinct periods of discharge and water temperature conditions, which included a spring period of peak river discharge (May 2012, 2013), a summer period of low discharge and maximum seasonal water temperatures (August/Sept, 2012), and an autumn period of low discharge and intermediate water temperatures (October 2013). Benthic respiration rates for the Wax Lake Delta ranged from 4.4 – 46.8 and averaged 16.7 (± 1.5) mmol O2 m-2 d-1 . Atchafalaya Bay sites ranged from 10.3 - 26.5 and averaged 17.1 (± 1.5) mmol O2 m-2 d-1 across all sites and seasons. Benthic respiration generally increased along two spatial gradients: 1) with distance offshore from the delta into Atchafalaya Bay, and 2) toward the interior of a mouth bar island. These patterns were related to similar increases in sediment OC and N content, which were derived from a mix of terrigenous and marine sources and varied with season. Sediment organic (OC and N) content and water temperature were identified as main drivers influencing benthic respiration in the Wax Lake Delta estuary. Seasonal changes in riverine discharge and wind-driven sediment resuspension events were likely to influence the seasonal variability of benthic respiration by governing water temperature and organic matter supply to the sediments. Benthic oxygen consumption rates in the Wax Lake Delta were most sensitive to increases in water temperature during low discharge conditions (< 2,000 m3 /s) of the MI-AR system. In context of coastal restoration, results from this study suggest that opening a sediment diversion during spring peak discharge conditions will have less of an effect on benthic oxygen consumption rates than during warmer low flow conditions. / acase@tulane.edu

L’objectif de cette thèse concerne la quantification des flux benthos-pélagiques dans une lagune soumise à un régime climatique tropical rythmé de périodes humides et périodes sèches. La lagune de Terminos, située au sud du golfe du Mexique est le plus vaste écosystème laguno-estuarien du Mexique (2000 km2). Du fait de sa faible profondeur (3.5 m en moyenne), les processus benthiques sont sensés participer activement à l’ensemble du cycle biogéochimique de cet Ecosystème. Les mesures de flux benthiques ont eu lieu au cours de un réseau de 13 stations pendant une saison sèche (mars 2009 et 2010) et une saison humide (octobre 2009 et novembre 2010). Quatre stations ont fait l’objet de mesures plus fréquentes du 2008 au 2010. Des incubations ex-situ de carottes de sédiment prélevées ont permis de mesurer la variabilité spatio-temporelle des taux de respiration benthique (SOD) et des flux de sels nutritifs. Les SOD sont significativement différents entre les périodes sèches et humides (1327±161 et 2248±359 µmol m-2 h-1 respectivement). Les flux de silicates sont significativement plus importants pendant la saison des pluies (89.4±15.9 µmol m-2 h-1) que pendant la saison sèche (46.5±11.4 µmol m-2 h-1). Les flux de phosphates, faibles tout au long des périodes étudiées, n’ont pas montré de différence significative. Les flux d’azote dissous (DIN) sont de même intensité mais de sens opposé (2.9±18.8 µmol m-2 h-1 et 24.3±7.3 µmol m-2 h-1). Ces flux caractérisés par un fort signal saisonnier sont fortement corrélés avec les caractéristiques biogéochimiques des sédiments (Corg, N et chloropigments) et contribuent significativement au bilan du carbone et des éléments associés. / The goal of this study concerns the quantification of sediment-water fluxes in a tropical lagoon under climatic forcing regulated by successive dry and wet periods. Terminos lagoon on the South coast of Gulf of Mexico (Campeche sound) is a shallow (3.5 m) but vast estuarine system (2000 km2) where the sediments are supposed to contribute largely to the overall biogeochemical cycling. Benthic flux measurements were performed twice over a network of 13 stations during dry (March 2009 and 2010) and wet periods (October 2009 and November 2010). A selection of 4 stations from this network were visited more frequently between 2008 and 2010. Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) and nutrient fluxes were measured through ex-situ incubations of sediment cores sampled manually. SOD were significantly different between both dry and wet seasons (1327±161 and 2248±359 µmol m-2 h-1 respectively). Silicates fluxes were significantly more intense during the wet season (89.4±15.9 µmol m-2 h-1) than during the dry one (46.5±11.4 µmol m-2 h-1). Phosphate fluxes, low during all periods did not show a temporal trend. Finally DIN fluxes showed a net uptake during the wet season (2.9±18.8 µmol m-2 h-1) and conversely an efflux during the dry season (24.3±7.3 µmol m-2 h-1). These fluxes depicted a pronounced seasonal signal, showed a significant correlation to sediment characteristics (Corg, N and chloropigments) and finally contributed to the overall carbon and nutrient budget of the lagoon.