An effective technique is described for transferring soft benthic sediments with their resident infauna intact into special holding systems (elutriator/microcosms) which permitted the study under controlled conditions of both nutrient exchange from the sediments and the activities of their infaunal communities. The effects of bioturbic activity on nutrient exchange rates could not be detected by water column measurements but could be seen using a specially developed micro-coring technique. Alpheid shrimp activity was estimated to increase the sediment surface area by 2- or 3-fold and also tended to mask signs of burrowing by smaller infaunal animals. An increase in infaunal population after sediment transfer to a clean-water situation suggested that the sediment itself was acting like an analogue to an 'artificial reef'. Continued investigation of this 'artificial-reef effect' is recommended.

Prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Research Laboratory, Narragansett, R.I. under Interagency agreement D6-F941. Issued Aug. 1977. Includes bibliographical references (pages 36-37).