Recent studies suggested that the extensive crab-bed zones affect the particle movement and near-bottom fluid dynamic, and burrows could locally increase the sedimentary OM content
of such zones by passively trapping detritus and OM-rich sediments Indeed, crab activity produces important zones of macro-detritus retention that can enhance the amount of OMthat is stored in saltmarshes. This could be particularly important in systems with low OM content, such as in many SW Atlantic intertidal soft bottoms. Although it is well known that
salt marsh sediments store large amounts of OM, little is known about OM quality in salt marsh soils, and about the spatial
variability of this OM. We hypothesize that bioturbation by N. granulata impacts on OM processing affecting its availability (e.g., by enhancing the proportion of readily labile compounds to total organic matter) and also stimulating their remineralization rate (by enhancing OM and solute transport processes, and creating a redox-oscillating environment).
Thus, the aim of this work is to evaluate the role of the
burrowing crab N.