Phosphorus Release Processes in Nearshore Southern Lake Michigan

We determined soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) release rates from intact, medium-fine sand cores obtained from an 11-m-deep sampling site in nearshore Lake Michigan during July–October 1980. Mean SRP release ranged from 0.17 ± 0.03 (SE) to 0.57 ± 0.04 mg PO4-P∙m−2∙d−1. Pore water analysis indicated that, despite high dissolved oxygen concentrations in the uppermost 6 cm of sediment, SRP concentrations increased rapidly with depth throughout this zone. Moreover, a Fickian diffusion equation based on the SRP pore water gradient and physical sediment features predicted a release rate (1.12 mg PO4-P∙m−1∙d−1) that was 2–7 times higher than release rates measured from intact cores. Results suggest that nearshore sediments provide a ready pathway for the return of SRP to overlying water, and this process warrants inclusion in future conceptual models of Lake Michigan's phosphorus cycle.