Complex burrows of the mud shrimp Callianassa truncata and their geochemical impact in the sea bed

THE biogeochemical processes and associated microbial communities in the sea floor are stratified(1) and dependent on vertical transport mechanisms, The penetration of oxygen is generally only a few millimetres in coastal sediments(2), regulated by the dynamic balance between diffusion from the overlying water and rapid consumption within the sea bed, Macrofauna organisms living within the sea bed affect the physical structure of the sea floor, its chemical zonations and the exchange processes across the sediment-water interface(3,4). Thalassinidean mud-shrimps are often abundant in tropical and temperate coastal regions(5-7) and build burrows with a species-specific architecture, The deepest reported burrows reach down to 2.5 m sediment depth(8). It is difficult to study the activities of these secretive animals and their effect on sediment biogeochemistry without disturbing the sediment system(9). Here we report the use of a diver observatory within the seabed, along with in situ measurements, to assess the geochemical impact of the mud-shrimp Callianassa truncata Giard and Bonnier (Decapoda, Thalassinidea), a species that commonly inhabits sandy sediments in the Mediterranean sea.