ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the present knowledge of the biogeochemistry of fjords, emphasizing sediment diagenesis and element cycling in oxic and anoxic fjords. The highly variable input of fresh water and sediment affects circulation and sedimentation patterns both within and between fjords. Fjords are diverse with respect to topography, hydrography, current regimes, tidal influence, chemistry, sediment input and transport, oxygen conditions, trophic status, productivity, human impact, andcommercial utilization. Fjords offer a great variety and spatial gradients of a number of interesting features, including water depth, sill depth, redox conditions, salinity, climate zones, level of anthropogenic influence, freshwater and sediment input, stratification, sediment types, sediment ecology, sediment biogeochemistry, and biological productivity. A better understanding of organic matter preservation in anoxic fjords could lead to a more effective use of these environments as records of historical changes in paleoproductivity or watershed land use.
