长江口盐度梯度下不同形态碳的分布、来源与混合行为

河口碳的生物地球化学过程是全球碳循环的重要组成。通过测定溶解无机碳（DIC）及其稳定同位素丰度（δ13C_DIC），溶解有机碳（DOC），有色溶解有机物（CDOM），颗粒有机碳（POC）及其稳定同位素丰度（δ13C_POC）与元素比值（N/C）及相关指标，研究了2014年7月长江口盐度梯度下不同形态碳的分布、来源和混合行为。结果表明，DIC浓度、DOC浓度、POC含量分别为1 583.2~1 739.6 μmol/L，128.4~369.4 μmol/L和51.2~530.8 μmol/L，这些不同形态碳及CDOM的荧光组分的分布模式相似，均是从口内到口外，整体呈现先增大后减小的趋势，并与盐度呈现非保守混合行为。添加作用主要发生在在口门处最大浑浊带附近。与含量相反，从口内到口外，δ13C_DIC和δ13C_POC均呈现逐渐减小再增大的趋势，在口门附近达到最低值，分别为-9.7‰和-26.7‰。在口门附近不同形态碳含量上升及δ13C_DIC、δ13C_POC的降低可能主要与沉积物再悬浮及微生物作用有关。基于蒙特卡洛模拟的三端元混合模型的结果显示，河口内外POC来源变化明显，口内POC以陆源有机碳贡献为主，平均为62.3%，口外海源贡献逐渐增加。CDOM相关参数结果表明长江口CDOM主要来自陆源输入，海源及人类活动等也对其产生影响。     

Was a carbon balance measured in the equatorial Pacific during JGOFS?

The likelihood that the carbon fluxes measured as part of the US-JGOFS field program in the equatorial Pacific ocean (EgPac) during 1992 yielded a balanced carbon budget for the surface ocean was determined. The major carbon fluxes incorporated into a surface carbon budget were: new production, particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export, CaC0₃ export, C0₂ gas evasion, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) supply, and the time rate of charge. The ratio of the measured concentration gradients of DOC and DIC provided a constraint on the ratio of POC/DOC export. Uncertainties of ±30–50% for individual carbon flux measurements reduce the likelihood that a carbon balance can be measured during a JGOFS process-type study. As a benchmark, carbon fluxes were prescribed to yield a hypothetical surface carbon budget that was, on average, balanced. Given the typical errors in the individual carbon fluxes, however, there was only about a 30% chance that this hypothetical budget could be measured to be balanced to ±50%. Using this benchmark, it was determined that there was a 95 % chance that the carbon flux measurements yielded a surface DIC budget balanced (to ±50%) during El Nino conditions in boreal spring 1992, when the total organic carbon export rate was - 5 mmol C m-2 day- 1 and the POC export was 3 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹. In boreal fall 1992, during cold period conditions, there was a 70% chance that the surface carbon DIC budget was balanced when the total organic carbon export rate was 20 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹ and export was -13 mmol C m-2 day-'. The DOC to DIC concentration gradient ratio of - -0.15, measured in depth profiles down to 100m and in surface waters, was used as an important constraint that most (> 70%) of the organic carbon exported from the euphotic zone was POC rather than DOC. If a balanced surface DIC budget was used to test the compatibility of individual carbon fluxes measured during EgPac, then a three- to four-fold increase in total and particulate organic carbon export between spring and fall is indicated. This increase was not reflected in the POC loss rates measured by drifting sediment trap collections or estimated by²³⁴Th deficiencies coupled with the C/Th measured on suspended particles.     

Carbon to nitrogen (C:N) stoichiometry of the spring–summer phytoplankton bloom in the North Water Polynya (NOW)

The carbon to nitrogen (C:N) stoichiometry of phytoplankton production varied significantly during the spring–summer bloom in the North Water Polynya (NOW), from April through July 1998. The molar ratio of particulate organic carbon (POC) to nitrogen (PON) production by phytoplankton (ΔPOC:ΔPON) increased from 5.8 during April through early June to 8.9 in late June and July. The molar dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to nitrate+nitrite (NO₃) drawdown ratio (ΔDIC: ΔNO₃) increased from 6.7 in April and May, to 11.9 in June (no estimate for July because of ice melting). The discrepancy between ΔPOC:ΔPON and ΔDIC:ΔNO₃ was likely due to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production. Increased ΔPOC:ΔPON of phytoplankton and surface water ΔDIC:ΔNO₃ throughout the phytoplankton blooms resulted from changes in physical properties of the upper water column, such as reduced thickness of the surface mixed layer that exposed phytoplankton to increased photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), accompanied by NO₃ depletion. This is expected to have significant effects on the cycling of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in pelagic ecosystems, as the increased C:N ratio of organic matter decreases its quality as substrate for grazers and microbial communities. Based on ΔPOC:ΔPON, the ratio of POC to chlorophyll a (Chl) production (ΔPOC:ΔChl) and the relationship between Chl yields and NO₃ depletion, we estimate that 71±17% and 46±20% of the depleted NO₃ went to PON production in the euphotic zone over the polynya from April to early June, and late June to July, respectively. The remaining NO₃ was likely channelled to dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and heterotrophic bacteria, which were not returned to the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) pool through recycling during the course of the study. Hence, the autotrophic production of organic N and its recycling by the microbial food web were not coupled temporally.     

Export flux of particles at the equator in the western and central Pacific ocean

Export of particles was studied at the equator during an El Nin˜o warm event (October 1994) as part of the French ORSTOM/FLUPAC program. Particulate mass, carbon (organic and inorganic) (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) export fluxes were measured at the equator in the western and central Pacific during two 6–7 day-long time-series stations located in the warm pool (TS-I at 0°, 167°E) and in the equatorial HNLC situation (TS-II at 0°, 150°W), using drifting sediment traps deployed for 48 h at four depths (between, approximately, 100 and 300 m).The particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes at the base of the euphotic zone (0.1 % light level), were approximately four times lower at TS-I than at TS-11 (4.1 vs. 17.0 mmol C m^-2 day^-1). Conversely, fluxes measured at 300 m were similar at both sites (3.6vs. 3.7 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹ at TS-I and TS-11, respectively). This change in export fluxes was in good agreement with food-web dynamics in the euphotic zone characterized by an increase in plankton biomasses and metabolic rates and a shift towards larger size from TS-1 to TS-II. The POC flux profiles indicated high remineralization (up to 78%) of the exported particles at TS-II, between 100 and 200 m in the Equatorial Undercurrent. According to zooplankton ingestion estimates from 100 – 300 m, 60% of this POC loss could be accounted for by zooplankton grazing. At TS-I, no marked increase of flux with depth was observed, and we assume that loss of particles was compensated by in-situ particle production by zooplankton. Fluxes of particulate nitrogen and phosphorus followed the same general patterns as the POC fluxes. The elemental and pigment composition of the exported particles was not very different between the two stations. In particular, the POCYN flux molar ratio at the base of the euphotic zone was low, 6.9 and 6.2 at TS-1 and TS-II, respectively.For particulate inorganic carbon (mainly carbonate) flux, values at the base of the euphotic zone averaged 0.9 mmol C m-2 day-1 at TS-I and 2.3 mmol C m-2 day-1 at TS-11 (corresponding to a 2.6-fold increase) and showed low depth changes at both stations.POC export flux (including active flux associated with the interzonal migrants) at the 0.1 % light level depth represented only 8% of primary production (1°C uptake) measured at TS-1 and 19% at TS-II. For the time and space scales considered in the present study, new primary production, as measured by the 15N method, was in good agreement with the total export flux in the HNLC situation, thus leading to negligible dissolved organic carbon (DOC) or nitrogen (DON) losses from the photic zone. Conversely, export flux was found to be only 50% (C units) and 60% (N) of new production in the oligotrophic system, either because of an overestimation by the 15N method or of a significant export of DOC and DON.Comparison with other oceanic regions shows that export flux in the warm pool was within the same range as in the central gyres. On the other hand, comparison with EgPac data in the central Pacific suggests that there is no straightforward relation between the magnitude of the export and surface nitrate concentrations.     

Cycling of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and carbon in the Framvaren Fjord, Norway: stable isotopic variations

The reaction pathways of nitrogen and carbon in the Framvaren Fjord (Norway) were studied through stable isotope analysis (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) of dissolved inorganic and particulate organic matter (POM). The variations in the isotopic compositions of the various C and N pools within the water column were use to evaluate the historical deposition of material to the sediments. The high δ¹⁵N-NH₄⁺ at the O₂/H₂S interface, as a consequence of microbial uptake between 19 and 25 m, results in extremely depleted δ¹⁵N-particulate nitrogen (PN) of approximately 1‰ within the particulate maximum at approximately 19 m. The carbon isotopic distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) within the interface suggests that the distinct microbial flora (Chromatium sp. and Chlorobium sp.) fractionate inorganic carbon to different degrees. The extremely light δ¹³C-POC within the interface (−31‰) appears to be a result of carbon uptake by Chromatium sp. while δ¹³C-POC of −12‰ is more indicative of Chlorobium sp. Nitrogen isotopic mass balance calculations suggested that approximately 75% of the material sinking to the sediments was derived from the dense particulate maximum between 19 and 25 m. The sediment distribution of nitrogen isotopes varied from 2‰ at the surface to approximately 6‰ at 30 cm. The nitrogen isotopic variations with depth may be an indicator of the depth or position of the O₂/H₂S interface in the fjord. Low sediment δ¹⁵N indicated that the interface was within the photic zone of the water column, while more enriched values suggested that the interface was lower in the water column potentially allowing for less fractionation during biological incorporation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Results indicate that the dense layers of photo-autotrophic bacteria in the upper water column impart unique carbon and nitrogen isotopic signals that help follow processes within the water column and deposition to the sediments.     

Sources and transport of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the Mississippi River estuary and adjacent coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), stable carbon isotopic (δ¹³C) compositions of DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC), and elemental C/N ratios of POC were measured for samples collected from the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers and adjacent coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the low flow season in June 2000 and high flow season in April 2001. These isotopic and C/N results combined with DOC measurements were used to assess the sources and transport of terrestrial organic matter from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers to the coastal region in the northern Gulf of Mexico. δ¹³C values of both POC (−23.8‰ to −26.8‰) and DOC (−25.0‰ to −29.0‰) carried by the two rivers were more depleted than the values measured for the samples collected in the offshore waters. Strong seasonal variations in δ¹³C distributions were observed for both POC and DOC in the surface waters of the region. Fresh water discharge and horizontal mixing played important roles in the distribution and transport of terrestrial POC and DOC offshore. Our results indicate that both POC and DOC exhibited non-conservative behavior during the mixing especially in the mid-salinity range. Based on a simple two end-member mixing model, the comparison of the measured DOC-δ¹³C with the calculated conservative isotopic mixing curve indicated that there was a significant in situ production of marine-derived DOC in the mid- to high-salinity waters consistent with our in situ chlorophyll-a measurements. Our DOC-δ¹³C data suggest that a removal of terrestrial DOC mainly occurred in the high-salinity (>25) waters during the mixing. Our study indicates that the mid- to high- (10–30) salinity range was the most dynamic zone for organic carbon transport and cycling in the Mississippi River estuary. Variability in isotopic and elemental compositions along with variability in DOC and POC concentrations suggest that autochthonous production, bacterial utilization, and photo-oxidation could all play important roles in regulating and removing terrestrial DOC in the northern Gulf of Mexico and further study of these individual processes is warranted.     

Meridional carbon dioxide transport in the northern North Atlantic

Combination of estimated water transport and accurate measurements of total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) on a hydrographic section at 58 °N allows the assessment of meridional inorganic carbon transport in the northern North Atlantic Ocean. The transport has been decomposed into contributions from the large-scale baroclinic overturning, the Ekman transport, baroclinic and a barotropic eddy terms, and an estimated contribution of the East Greenland Current. These terms are −0.27 · 10⁶, +0.03 · 10⁶, +0.03 · 10⁶, +0.10 · 10⁶, and +0.05 · 10⁶ mol s⁻¹, respectively, which result in a total southward inorganic carbon transport of only −0.06 · 10⁶ mol s⁻¹. An order of magnitude estimate of the meridional transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has shown that in general this term cannot be ignored in the total carbon flux, this being +0.04 · 10⁶ to +0.16 · 10⁶ mol s⁻¹ at 58 °N. A simple carbon budget has been formulated for the temperate North Atlantic, using our flux estimates as well as those of Brewer et al. (1989). This budget shows that the divergence of the meridional carbon flux, connected with the freshwater balance of the ocean may be of the same order of magnitude as the divergence of the total inorganic carbon flux. For an accurate estimate of the total carbon budget of the ocean it will be necessary to take both the DOC transport and the effects of the freshwater balance into account.     

Incorporation of aged dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by oceanic particulate organic carbon (POC): An experimental approach using natural carbon isotopes

Incorporation of ¹⁴C-depleted (old) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on/into particulate organic carbon (POC) has been suggested as a possible mechanism to explain the low Δ¹⁴C-POC values observed in the deep ocean [Druffel, E.R.M., Williams, P.M., 1990. Identification of a deep marine source of particulate organic carbon using bomb ¹⁴C. Nature, 347, 172–174.]. A shipboard incubation experiment was performed in the Sargasso Sea to test this hypothesis. Finely ground dried plankton was incubated in seawater samples from the deep Sargasso Sea, both with and without a biological poison (HgCl₂). Changes in parameters such as biochemical composition and carbon isotopic signatures of bulk POC and its organic compound classes were examined to study the roles of sorptive processes and biotic activity on POC character. Following a 13-day incubation, the relative abundance of the acid-insoluble organic fraction increased. Abundances of extractable lipids and total hydrolyzable amino acids decreased for both treatments, but by a greater extent in the non-poisoned treatment. The Δ¹⁴C values of POC recovered from the non-poisoned treatment were significantly lower than the value of the unaltered plankton material used for the incubation, indicating incorporation of ¹⁴C-depleted carbon, most likely DOC. The old carbon was present only in the lipid and acid-insoluble fractions. These results are consistent with previous findings of old carbon dominating the same organic fractions of sinking POC from the deep Northeast Pacific [Hwang, J., Druffel, E.R.M., 2003. Lipid-like material as the source of the uncharacterized organic carbon in the ocean? Science, 299, 881–884.]. However, the Δ¹⁴C values of POC recovered from the poisoned treatment did not change as much as those from the non-poisoned treatment suggesting that biological processes were involved in the incorporation of DOC on/into POC.     

The carbon dioxide system and net community production within a cyclonic eddy in the lee of Hawaii

The dynamics of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and processes controlling net community production (NCP) were investigated within a mature cyclonic eddy, Cyclone Opal, which formed in the lee of the main Hawaiian Islands in the subtropical North Pacific Gyre. Within the eddy core, physical and biogeochemical properties suggested that nutrient- and DIC-rich deep waters were uplifted by 80 m relative to surrounding waters, enhancing biological production. A salt budget indicates that the eddy core was a mixture of deep water (68%) and surface water (32%). NCP was estimated from mass balances of DIC, nitrate+nitrite, total organic carbon, and dissolved organic nitrogen, making rational inferences about the unobserved initial conditions at the time of eddy formation. Results consistently suggest that NCP in the center of the eddy was substantially enhanced relative to the surrounding waters, ranging from 14.1±10.6 (0–110 m: within the euphotic zone) to 14.2±9.2 (0–50 m: within the mixed layer) to 18.5±10.7 (0–75 m: within the deep chlorophyll-maximum layer) mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹ depending on the depth of integration. NCP in the ambient waters outside the eddy averaged about 2.37±4.24 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹ in the mixed layer (0–95 m). Most of the enhanced NCP inside the eddy appears to have accumulated as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) rather than exported as particulate organic carbon (POC) to the mesopelagic. Our results also suggest that the upper euphotic zone (0–75 m) above the deep chlorophyll maximum is characterized by positive NCP, while NCP in the lower layer (>75 m) is close to zero or negative.     

Carbon distribution and fluxes of 16 rivers discharging into the Bohai Sea in summer

Riverine carbon input is closely related to the inshore aquatic environment,the marine carbon pool and climate change.Samples were synchronously obtained from 16 rivers discharging into the Bohai Sea (China) in 1-5 July 2005.The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of the 16 rivers were mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities.The particulate organic carbon (POC) of the Haihe,Luanhe,Ziyaxinhe,Chaobaixinhe,Xiaoqinghe,Xiaolinghe,Duliujianhe,Jiyunhe,and Majiahe Rivers mainly originated from pollu...     

A method to measure the isotopic (C) composition of dissolved organic carbon using a high temperature combustion instrument

The stable isotopes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are a powerful tool for distinguishing sources and inputs of organic matter in aquatic systems. While several methods exist to perform these analyses, no labs routinely utilize a high temperature combustion (HTC) instrument. Advantages of HTC instruments include rapid analysis, small sample volumes and minimal sample preparation, making them the favored devices for most routine oceanic DOC concentration measurements. We developed a stable carbon DOC method based around an HTC system. This method has the benefit of a simple setup, requiring neither vacuum nor high pressures. The main drawback of the method is a significant blank, requiring careful accounting of all blank sources for accurate isotopic and concentration values. We present here a series of experiments to determine the magnitude, source and isotopic composition of the HTC blank. Over time, the blank is very stable at  20 ng of carbon with a δ¹³C of − 18.1‰ vs. VPDB. The similarity of the isotopic composition of the blank and seawater samples makes corrections relatively minor. The precision of the method was determined by oxidizing organic standards with a wide isotopic and concentration range (− 9‰ to − 39‰; 18 μM to 124 μM). Analysis of seawater samples demonstrates the accuracy for low concentration, high salinity samples. The overall error on the measurement is approximately ± 0.8‰.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen in the northern California current system: comparison of offshore, river plume, and coastally upwelled waters

During the first year of the Northeast Pacific GLOBEC program we examined the spatial distributions of dissolved and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen in the surface waters off the Oregon and Washington coasts of North America. Eleven east–west transects were sampled from nearshore waters to 190 km offshore. Hydrographic data and the distribution of inorganic nutrients were used to characterize three distinct water sources: oligotrophic offshore water, the Columbia River plume, and the coastal upwelling region inshore of the California Current. Warm, high salinity offshore water had very low levels of inorganic nutrients, particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Warm, low salinity water in the Columbia River plume was relatively low in nitrate, but showed a strong negative correlation between salinity and silicate. The river plume water had the highest levels of total organic carbon (TOC) (up to 180 μM) and DOC (up to 150 μM) observed anywhere in the sampling area. Cold, high salinity coastal waters had high nutrient levels, moderate to high levels of POC and particulate organic nitrogen (PON), and low to moderate levels of DOC and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Each of these regions has characteristic C:N ratios for particulate and dissolved organic material. The results are compared to concentrations and partitioning of particulate and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in other regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans.     

Simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen in seawater by high temperature catalytic oxidation: conditions for precise shipboard measurements

Appropriate conditions have been achieved for the accurate, rapid, and highly precise shipboard simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen in seawater by high temperature catalytic oxidation. A nitrogen-specific Antek 705D chemiluminescence detector and a CO₂-specific LiCor Li6252 IRGA have been coupled in-series with a Shimadzu TOC-5000 organic carbon analyser. Precision of both simultaneous measurements is ≤1.5%, i.e. ±1 μmol C l⁻¹ and ±0.3 μmol N l⁻¹, respectively. Quality of analysis is not compromised by vibrations associated with ocean going research vessels.     

Inputs of organic carbon from Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean

Land/ocean boundaries constitute complex systems with active physical and biogeochemical processes that affect the global carbon cycle. An example of such a system is the mesotidal lagoon named Ria de Aveiro (Portugal, 40°38′N, 08°45′W), which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a single channel, 350 m wide. The objective of this study was to estimate the seasonal and inter-tidal variability of organic carbon fluxes between the coastal lagoon and the Ocean, and to assess the contribution of the organic carbon fractions (i.e. dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC)) to the export of organic carbon to the Ria de Aveiro plume zone. The organic carbon fractions fluxes were estimated as the product of the appropriate fractional organic carbon concentrations and the water fluxes calculated by a two-dimensional vertically integrated hydrodynamic model (2DH). Results showed that the higher exchanges of DOC and POC fractions at the system cross-section occurred during spring tides but only resulted in a net export of organic carbon in winter, totalling 85 t per tidal cycle. Derived from the winter and summer campaigns, the annual carbon mass balance estimated corresponded to a net export of organic carbon (7957 = 6585 t yr⁻¹ POC + 1372 t yr⁻¹ DOC). On the basis of the spring tidal drainage area, it corresponds to an annual flux of 79 g m⁻² of POC and 17 g m⁻² of DOC out of the estuary.     

Plankton dynamics and carbon flux in an area of upwelling off the coast of Morocco

A carbon flux study was carried out off the coast of Morocco, at 31°N, in a region characterized by the presence of a persistent cyclonic eddy. Two short-term (4 and 3 day) deployments of free-floating sediment traps were combined with water column sampling and rate process measurements as the ship followed the traps. For a period of 36 h between trap deployments, a hydrographic section was run along 31°30'N as part of a larger scale survey being carried out simultaneously on the R.V. A. von Humboldt. The first trap deployment was near the eastern margin of the eddy and the traps moved to the north and west in a frontal jet associated with its northern boundary. After the second deployment, which was at the recovery point of the first, the traps moved to the west and then to the southwest. Throughout the study, chlorophyll concentrations varied between 27 and 125 mg m⁻² (0–100 m), with highest concentrations in the upwelled water nearest the coast and in upwelled water generated within the cyclonic eddy. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) concentrations were relatively uniform (13.6±1.8 and 1.63±28 g m⁻² with phytoplankton carbon accounting for 16–85% of total POC. Bacterial carbon was 5% of total POC and mesozooplankton carbon concentrations were equivalent to 9% of total POC. Microzooplankton biomass was not assessed but POC:PON ratios in the water column were often high, suggesting there was sometimes a large detrital component in the POC. Primary production rates varied between 1.0 and 2.5 g C m⁻² day⁻¹. Bacterial consumption accounted for 50% of primary production. Metabolic rates suggested that copepods were ingesting more than 0.4 g C m⁻² day⁻¹. while filtration rates suggested that ingestion of phytoplankton carbon was only 0.2 g C m⁻²day⁻¹, even when phytoplankton constituted 85% of the POC. f-ratios (based on uptake rates for ¹⁵N-nitrate and ammonia) were between 0.1 and 0.4, and excretion by mesozooplankton could account for 40% of the daily ammonium uptake by phytoplankton. HPLC pigment analysis showed that when chlorophyll biomass was high, diatoms were dominant, whereas when it was low, small prymnesiophytes, chlorophytes and diatoms were all important. The composition of the fluoresecent pigments in material in the sediment traps indicated that intact phytoplankton and copepod faecal pellets were the main sources but the relative rates of sedimentation of pigment, POC and PON for the two trapping periods did not reflect differences that were observed in the overlying water column. This was likely to be the result of spatial heterogeneity and strong horizontal currents heterogeneity and strong horizontal currents within the euphotic zone. Thus, material collected at 100 m probably did not originate in the water column immediately overlying the traps and trapping efficiencies might also have been variable.     

Effect of wood waste dumping on organic matter in seawater and surficial sediments of Alberni Inlet,British Columbia

Distribution of particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in seawater, and chemical composition of surficial sediments were studied in relation to pulpmill effluent and dumping of dredge spoil containing wood debris in Alberni Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. The maximum concentration of POC (377–584µg Cl^–1) was observed at the surface around the dumping area (5–7 km seaward of the inlet's head), and at the location immediately adjacent to the dump site POC was elevated throughout the water column (50 m). While POC tended to decrease in the surface layer for a distance of about 25km down-inlet, measureable effects of POC in the deeper water did not extend beyond 600m from the dump site. The dump site was conspicuous by the large maximum in C:N ratio (46.3). In contrast, DOC was observed to be highest (4.25mg Cl^–1) at the head of the inlet where pulpmill effluent was being discharged and a secondary maximum was found about 10km down-inlet from the dump site. The data suggest that a considerable proportion of the dredge spoil sinks rapidly near the dump site, probably within several hundred metres. Some of the spoil, perhaps low density wood debris may travel considerably further with the surface water where by leaching it may contribute to some extent to the surface DOC before sinking into deeper water.     

Influence of winds and oceanographic conditions on the mucilage aggregation in the Northern Adriatic Sea in 2003–2006

Meteorological and oceanographic conditions in the Northern Adriatic Sea in a year notable for massive mucilage formation (2004) were compared with those in years where this phenomenon did not occur (2003, 2005 and 2006) to suggest possible links. The months preceding the mucilage event in 2004 were considered the ‘incubation period’ and were characterized by a strong freshet in May which increased the water column stability. Winter cooling and scarcity of freshwater inputs from the Po River triggered the dense water formation and intrusion in the northern basin. Weak southeasterly winds and an increase in surface seawater temperatures contributed to maintain and reinforce the water column stability, and at the same time an intense diatom spring bloom created the conditions for accumulation of organic matter. The interplay of climatological forcings and biological processes caused temporal variations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in the basin, with POC playing an important role in the aggregation process, as suggested by its increase relative to DOC before massive mucilage formation. We therefore suggest that high POC/total particulate nitrogen ratios in the suspended particulate organic fraction, a steep increase of POC/Chlorphyll a, and the decreased DOC/POC ratios represent ‘early warning’ signals of the main processes that lead to mucilage events in the Northern Adriatic Sea.     

9810号台风过程厦门近岸海域POC的变化特征

本文研究了９８１０号台风影响下九龙江口及厦门西港表层海水颗粒有机碳（ＰＯＣ）的变化特征及其与某些环境因子的关系,除厦门西港低潮水外,台风期间ＰＯＣ含量的迅速增大,此“冲击期”共维持３ｄ后ＰＯＣ值迅速回落,进入“恢复期”。台风期间,九龙江口高低潮,厦门西港高潮表层水ＰＯＣ含量分别为０．７３９、１．３１９和０．８４８ｍｇ／ｄｍ＾３,是非台风状况下的１．１、１．９和１．４倍,陆源有机物的输入和底质再悬浮作用是控制表层水ＰＯＣ含量的主要因素,而厦门西港低潮水ＰＯＣ含量受台风作用影响较小,碎屑ＰＯＣ为厦门近岸海域表层海水ＰＯＣ的主要组成部分。ＰＯＣ与溶解态Ｎ、Ｐ营养盐有一定正相关性,暗示其可能来自颗粒物有机Ｎ、Ｐ的生物降解。     

Zooplankton vertical migration and the active transport of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon in the Sargasso Sea

The least known component of the “biological pump” is the active transport of carbon and nutrients by diel vertical migration of zooplankton. We measured CO₂ respiration and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) excretion by individual species of common vertically migrating zooplankton at the US JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) station. The inclusion of DOC excretion in this study builds on published research on active transport by respiration of inorganic carbon and allows a direct assessment of the role of zooplankton in the production of dissolved organic matter used in midwater microbial processes. On average, excretion of DOC makes up 24% (range=5–42%) of the total C metabolized (excreted+respired) and could represent a significant augmentation to the vertical flux that has already been documented for respiratory CO₂ flux by migrant zooplankton. Migratory fluxes were compared to other transport processes at BATS. Estimates of combined active transport of CO₂ and DOC by migrators at BATS averaged 7.8% and reached 38.6% of mean sinking POC flux at 150 m, and reached 71.4% of mean sinking POC flux at 300 m. DOC export by migrator excretion averaged 1.9% and reached 13.3% of annual DOC export by physical mixing at this site. During most of the year when deep mixing does not occur, diel migration by zooplankton could provide a supply of DOC to the deeper layers that is available for use by the microbial community. A carbon budget comparing migrant zooplankton transport to the balance of fluxes in the 300–600 m depth strata at BATS shows on average that the total migrant flux supplies 37% of the organic carbon remineralized in this layer, and that migrant DOC flux is more than 3 times the DOC flux gradient by diapycnal mixing. New estimates of active transport of both organic and inorganic carbon by migrants may help resolve observed imbalances in the C budget at BATS, but the magnitude is highly dependent on the biomass of the migrating community.     

A new method of evaluating the mineralization of particulate and dissolved photoassimilated organic matter

A new method of evaluating the rate of mineralization of photoassimilated organic matter is described. This method enables us to compare the rate of direct mineralization of particulate organic carbon (POC) to CO₂ with the rate of solubilization of photoassimilated organic carbon followed by the mineralization of the resultant dissolved organic carbon (DOC) under the same conditions. The direct mineralization of photoassimilated carbon from POC to CO₂ is a more significant process compared with the mineralization of extracellular released organic carbon. The first-order rate coefficients range from 0.132 to 0.434 day^–1 for direct mineralization and 0.034 to 0.189 day^–1 for solubilization.