An in situ instrument for planar O2 optode measurements at benthic interfaces

A new in situ instrument for two-dimensional mapping of oxygen in coastal sediments is presented. The measuring principle is described, and potential mechanical disturbances, solute and particle smearing associated with the measurements, and calibration routines are evaluated. The first in situ measurements obtained in two different benthic communities are presented. In a shallow photosynthetic sediment (1 m of water depth), an extensive horizontal and temporal variation in the O-2 distribution caused by benthic photosynthesis and irrigating fauna was resolved. Repetitive planar optode measurements performed along a transect in central Oresund, Denmark (17 in of water depth) revealed a positive correlation between the apparent O-2 penetration depths (OP) measured with a lateral distance <5.0 mm, whereas OP measured with a larger horizontal distance (up to 50 m) were not correlated. Consequently, the OP varied in patches with a characteristic size of 5.0 min. The instrument described is a powerful new tool for in situ characterization of spatiotemporal variations in O-2 distributions within benthic communities. The instrument can be adapted for use at full ocean depths, e.g., on deep-sea landers or remote operating vehicles.