Arsenic incorporation in a salt marsh ecosystem

Replicate portions of a Delaware salt marsh were enclosed in cylindrical microcosms and exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic (arsenate). All biotic and abiotic components in dosed cylinders rapidly incorporated arsenic. Spartina blades showed the greatest arsenic enrichment, with dosed plants incorporating arsenic concentrations an order of magnitude higher than controls. Spartina detritus and sediments also exhibited greatly elevated arsenic concentrations. Virtually all of the arsenic was incorporated into plant tissue or strongly sorbed to cell surfaces. Thus, elevated arsenic concentrations in estuarine waters will be reflected in living and non-living components of a salt marsh ecosystem, implying that increased arsenic will be available to organisms within the marsh ecosystem.     

The widespread occurrence of highly branched acyclic C20, C25 and C30 hydrocarbons in recent sediments and biota—A review

The occurrence of widely distributed acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons (C_2O, C₂₅ and C₃₀) with highly branched structures, in sediments and biota is reviewed. The compounds occur as alkanes and alkenes with from one to at least four double bonds in young aquatic (both marine and lacustrine) sediments from many parts of the globe (e.g. Peru, Antarctica, Gulf of Suez, North Sea, Atlantic) sometimes in high concentrations (e.g. 40 μg g⁻¹ sediment) relative to other hydrocarbons. However, the compounds rapidly disappear in older sediments, possibly due to biodegradation and reaction with sedimentary sulphur. These and other factors are discussed.The sources of this fascinating group of hydrocarbons remain largely unknown, though evidence points to algae (possibly diatoms) as one possibility. The recent identification of related sulphur-containing compounds in a crude oil promises to extend the number of reports of these compounds still further, and to increase their importance as environmental biological markers.     

Comparison of bulk and compound-specific δC analyses and determination of carbon sources to salt marsh sediments using n-alkane distributions (Maine,USA)

Sources of sedimentary organic matter to a Morse River, Maine (USA) salt marsh over the last 3390 ± 60 RCYBP (Radiocarbon Years Before Present) are determined using distribution patterns of n-alkanes, bulk carbon isotopic analysis, and compound-specific carbon isotopic analysis. Marsh foraminiferal counts suggest a ubiquitous presence of high marsh and higher-high marsh deposits (dominated by Trochammina macrescens forma macrescens, Trochammina comprimata, and Trochammina inflata), implying deposition from ∼0.2 m to 0.5 m above mean high water. Distributions of n-alkanes show a primary contribution from higher plants, confirmed by an average chain length value of 27.5 for the core sediments, and carbon preference index values all >3. Many sample depths are dominated by the C₂₅ alkane. Salicornia depressa and Ruppia maritima have similar n-alkane distributions to many of the salt marsh sediments, and we suggest that one or both of these plants is either an important source to the biomass of the marsh through time, or that another unidentified higher plant source is contributing heavily to the sediment pool. Bacterial degradation or algal inputs to the marsh sediments appear to be minor. Compound-specific carbon isotopic analyses of the C₂₇ alkane are on average 7.2‰ depleted relative to bulk values, but the two records are strongly correlated (R² = 0.89), suggesting that marsh plants dominate the bulk carbon isotopic signal. Our study underscores the importance of using caution when applying mixing models of plant species to salt marsh sediments, especially when relatively few plants are included in the model.     

Sources and preservation of organic matter in Plum Island salt marsh sediments (MA, USA): long-chain n-alkanes and stable carbon isotope compositions

Elemental (TOC, TN, C/N) and stable carbon isotopic (δ¹³C) compositions and n-alkane (nC_16–38) concentrations were measured for Spartina alterniflora, a C₄ marsh grass, Typha latifolia, a C₃ marsh grass, and three sediment cores collected from middle and upper estuarine sites from the Plum Island salt marshes. Our results indicated that the organic matter preserved in the sediments was highly affected by the marsh plants that dominated the sampling sites. δ¹³C values of organic matter preserved in the upper fresh water site sediment were more negative (−23.0±0.3‰) as affected by the C₃ plants than the values of organic matter preserved in the sediments of middle (−18.9±0.8‰) and mud flat sites (−19.4±0.1‰) as influenced mainly by the C₄ marsh plants. The distribution of n-alkanes measured in all sediments showed similar patterns as those determined in the marsh grasses S. alterniflora and T. latifolia, and nC₂₁ to nC₃₃ long-chain n-alkanes were the major compounds determined in all sediment samples. The strong odd-to-even carbon numbered n-alkane predominance was found in all three sediments and nC₂₉ was the most abundant homologue in all samples measured. Both δ¹³C compositions of organic matter and n-alkane distributions in these sediments indicate that the marsh plants could contribute significant amount of organic matter preserved in Plum Island salt marsh sediments. This suggests that salt marshes play an important role in the cycling of nutrients and organic carbon in the estuary and adjacent coastal waters.     

Release of dissolved organic matter during oxic and anoxic decomposition of salt marsh cordgrass

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), as the light absorbing fraction of bulk dissolved organic matter (DOM), plays a number of important roles in the global and local biogeochemical cycling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and in controlling the optical properties of estuarine and coastal waters. Intertidal areas such as salt marshes can contribute significant amounts of the CDOM that is exported to the ocean, but the processes controlling this CDOM source are not well understood. In this study, we investigate the production of DOM and CDOM from the decomposition of two salt marsh cordgrasses, Spartina patens, a C₄ grass, and Typha latifolia, a C₃ grass, in well-controlled laboratory experiments. During the seven-week incubation period of the salt marsh grasses in oxic and anoxic seawater, changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, dissolved nitrogen (DN) concentrations, stable carbon isotopic composition of DOC (DOC-δ¹³C), and CDOM fluorescence demonstrate a significant contribution of DOC and CDOM to estuarine waters from salt marsh plants, such as Spartina and Typha species. In the natural environment, however, the release processes of CDOM from different cordgrass species could be controlled largely by the in situ oxic and anoxic conditions present during degradation which affects both the production and decomposition of DOC and CDOM, as well as the optical properties of CDOM in estuarine and coastal waters.     

Invasive Spartina alterniflora-induced factors affecting epibenthos distribution in coastal salt marsh, China

Artificially introduced cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, rapidly colonized the intertidal flats of the Jiangsu coast, eastern China. The epibenthos on an intertidal flat invaded by S. alterniflora were studied, to identify how local epibenthos species react to an altered environment. Epibenthic samples and surficial sediment samples were collected along a shore-normal profile in 50 quadrats at ten stations across the Spartina salt marsh; and five control quadrats for a station located on the barren sandy-mud flat. The grain size parameters of the surficial sediments show that S. alterniflora altered the grain size gradient along the profile of the intertidal zone by trapping fine-grained sediments. Spartina alterniflora could inhabit lower elevations than indigenous salt marsh vegetation, thus creating larger areas of finer surficial sediments, which was suitable for not only native epibenthic species but also species which do not exist on the barren sandy-mud flat. Correlation analyses show that the epibenthos were sensitive to sediment grain size and type, on the invaded S. alterniflora salt marsh. Further, there was an interspecific relationship affecting the distribution of epibenthos. The results show that epibenthos preferred ecological niches, within the Spartina salt marsh, even in the same sampling station.     

Trophic plasticity of the gastropod Hydrobia ulvae within an intertidal bay (Roscoff,France): A stable isotope evidence

The study investigated the trophic ecology of the gastropod Hydrobia ulvae in different habitat types within an intertidal bay. The results point out two major trophic pathways involving H. ulvae in this bay. On the one hand, in sandy/muddy sediments Hydrobia derives most of its energy from allochtonous detritus derived from Enteromorpha sp and the total SOM pool. In addition, in these sediments, the phototrophic purple bacteria mats played a substantial trophic role in the diet of Hydrobia. On the other hand, in a Spartina maritima marsh, the gastropod appears firstly dependent of autochtonous detritus derived from this plant. The minor contribution of microphytobenthos to the diet of Hydrobia is consistent with a relatively low presence of epipelic diatoms at the sampling sites. These results provide evidence that the trophic ecology of H. ulvae inhabiting intertidal sediments is quite plastic and does not necessarily rely primarly on microphytobenthos. Consequently, in a single bay, the small spatial scale variability in the origin and availability of detritus have direct implications on the food incorporation by H. ulvae.     

Spatial and temporal variations in aboveground and belowground biomass of Spartina maritima (small cordgrass) in created and natural marshes

Spartina species are commonly used for salt marsh manipulative projects, where aboveground and belowground biomasses are functional traits that play important roles, showing high spatial and temporal variations. This work analyses variations in AGB and BGB of Spartina maritima and abiotic environmental parameters along a chronosequence of six marshes created from 1997 to 2003 with disparate sediment dynamics, and adjacent natural marshes and unvegetated tidal flats. S. maritima behaved as an autogenic engineer, as its colonization of bare sediments yielded abiotic environmental changes: specifically, bed level rise accompanied by higher oxygenation and salinity. These modifications of the environment were site-specific, depending mainly on sedimentary dynamics. At the same time, abiotic environmental changes determined biomass production rates of S. maritima that were higher in more-accreting marshes; however, AGB was kept constant from early in its development (2 years). The increase in BGB with elevation seemed to be related to the inhibition of subsurface tissue development in anoxic sediments. Biomass accumulation and production varied markedly, depending on the spatial scale, indicating the relevance of the plot size chosen for the analysis of biomass of cordgrasses. Our results show that managers of salt marshes should consider sedimentary dynamics carefully when setting realistic expectations for success criteria of created and restored wetlands.     

Bacterial production and carbon conversion based on saltmarsh plant debris

There is a well-defined succession of micro-organisms which colonize powdered leaf debris from Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus, and aged natural detrital material when these were incubated in estuarine water at temperatures near to those recorded in the habitat at the time of collection. The natural assemblage of free-living bacteria in estuarine water rapidly enters logarithmic growth, subsequently declining with the increase in numbers of bactivorous microflagellates. These are then replaced by a mixed population of ciliates, choanoflagellates, amoeboid forms and attached bacteria which form part of a complex microbial community associated with particulate debris. The rate of increase of bacterial cells (μ), in both spring and summer experiments ranged from 0·010–0·108 h^?1 whilst estimates of bacterial carbon production ranged from 1·5 to 10·1 μg C 1^?1 h^?1, values which conform well with estimates obtained from natural assemblages of marine bacteria in coastal and estuarine waters elsewhere. Although both the ease of degradation of the detrital substrate and incubation temperature are of importance, enrichment of both powdered Spartina leaf debris and aged natural detritus with inorganic nutrients evidently enhances bacterial production under experimental conditions. In addition, the amount of carbon utilized to sustain bacterial carbon production shows a significant reduction following enrichment with NH₄, NO₃ or combinations of NO₃ + PO₄. The bacterial carbon conversion efficiency (μg C incorporated into bacterial production per μg C consumed) × 100, based on powdered Spartina leaves, and aged natural detritus, is thus increased from 9–14%, to as much as 38% in nutrient enriched media. Since NH₄, NO₃ and PO₄ values are generally low in the water column, it seems likely that bacteria achieve a carbon conversion of only 9–14% on natural suspended detrital material, with the possibility of an enhanced conversion of up to 38% occurring at the sediment-water interface where ammonia regeration occurs. This suggests that suspended bacteria which characterize estuarine waters of salt marsh areas may be responsible for the oxidation of 86–91% of the carbon which enters water column microheterotroph food chains, and are probably implicated in the large CO₂ fluxes recently recorded from coastal wetland habitats.     

Biogenic and pollutant aliphatic hydrocarbons in Mytilus edulis from the North Sea

Capillary gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have been used to examine the aliphatic hydrocarbon fraction of specimens of the mussel, Mytilus edulis, collected from the legs of a North Sea oil-production platform. In addition to an unresolved complex mixture (UCM) of fossil fuel pollutant hydrocarbons (ca. 64 μg g^?1 dry weight average), the fraction was dominated by large amounts (ca. 21 μgg^?1 dry weight) of C₃₁ and C₃₃n-alkenes with 2, 3 and 4 double bonds. These alkenes have also been identified in the ubiquitous marine alga, Emiliania huxleyi, and in some species of fish taken from the North Sea. The close correspondence in the composition data suggest that, in the mussel, these alkenes arise from a biogenic dietary source, most probably from Emiliania huxleyi. This contention is supported by the identification in the mussel of unusual C₃₇, C₃₈ and C₃₉ unsaturated straight-chain ketones which have recently been shown to be biosynthesised by Emiliania.     

Stock and losses of trace metals from salt marsh plants

Pools of Zn, Cu, Cd and Co in the leaf, stem and root tissues of Sarcocornia fruticosa, Sarcocornia perennis, Halimione portulacoides and Spartina maritima were analysed for a Tagus estuary (Portugal) salt marsh. Pools of Cu and Cd in the salt marsh were higher in spring/summer, indicating a net uptake of these metals during the growing season. Standing stocks of Zn, Cu, Cd and Co in the leaf and stem biomass of S. fruticosa, S. perennis and H. portulacoides showed a strong seasonal variation, with higher values recorded in autumn. The metal-containing leaves and stems that shed in the autumn become metal-containing detritus. The amount of this material washed out from the total marsh area (200 ha) was estimated as 68 kg of Zn, 8.2 kg of Cu, 13 kg of Co and 0.35 kg of Cd. The high tidal amplitude, a branched system of channels and semi-diurnal tidal cycle greatly favour the export of the organic detritus to adjoining marsh areas.     

Environmental patchiness,litter decomposition and associated faunal patterns in a Spartina alterniflora marsh

Spartina alterniflora leaf litter bundles were placed in a North Carolina salt marsh to study the effects of environmental heterogeneity on decomposition and animal colonization. Sediment type (mud vs. sand), tidal inundation zone (near bay, mid-marsh and upper marsh) and Spartina growth form (tall vs. short) were studied. Tidal zone had the greatest effect on decomposition rate. The main effects of sediment type and growth form were not significant. All treatments affected animal distribution patterns in the leaf bundles. Nearly all common taxa were more common on mud than sand. Most taxa showed a strong association with one tidal zone. Half of the taxa were associated with one of the Spartina growth forms. Many interactions among the treatments were also significant.This study demonstrates the significance of environmental heterogeneity in a Spartina marsh both for litter decomposition and animal distributions.     

Degradation of algal lipids by deep-sea benthic foraminifera: An in situ tracer experiment

We conducted an in situ feeding experiment using ¹³C-labeled unicellular algae in Sagami Bay, Japan (water depth, 1450 m), in order to understand the fate of lipid compounds in phytodetritus at the deep-sea floor. We examined the incorporation of excess ¹³C into lipid compounds extracted from bulk sediments and benthic foraminiferal cells. ¹³C-enriched fatty acids derived from ¹³C-labeled algae were exponentially degraded during 6 days of incubation in the sediment. Subsequent enrichments in ¹³C in sedimentary n-C_15, anteiso-C₁₇, and C₁₇ fatty acids indicated the microbial degradation of algal material and production of bacterial biomass in the sediment. We observed the incorporation of ¹³C-labeled algal phytol and fatty acids into foraminiferal cells. The compositions of ¹³C-labeled algal lipids in foraminiferal cells were different from those in the bulk sediments, indicating that foraminiferal feeding and digestion influenced the lipid distribution in the sediments. Furthermore, some sterols in Globobulimina affinis (e.g., 24-ethylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol, 24-ethylcholest-5-en-3β-ol, and 23,24-dimethylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol) were newly produced via the modification of dietary algal sterols within 4–6 days. In addition to the effects of bacteria, feeding by benthic foraminifera can result in a significant reorganization of the composition of organic matter and influence benthic food webs and carbon cycling at the deep-sea floor.     

The decomposition rates of dead plant materials of two species of Spartina and the changes in their nutritive components

-The detritus from the decomposition of dead plant materials of Spartina with great biomass provides abundant food for the heterotrophs in estuarine and nearshore coastal waters. It is for this reason that the decomposition rates of S. anglica and S. alterniflora near the estuary of obsolete Huanghe River were studied. The changes in nutritive components during decomposition are also studied.Results showed that the decomposition rate of dead leaves of S. anglica on ultra-low marsh was about 90% for the first year. In the eighth month, it was 80% and 76 % respectively for S. anglica and S. alterniflora on low marsh. Protein content of the two species of Spartina increased in the course of decomposition, with a maximum increment of 100% or more. The energy value also increased, whereas cellulose content decreased markedly. The percentage content of ash and lipid varied significantly with zonal differences.     

The role of organic matter in the sorption capacity of marine sediments

Past studies have suggested that desiccation enhances hydrophobicity of salt marsh sediment, and that drying and rewetting sediment can be used to investigate sorption mechanisms of amino acids and other organic compounds [Liu, Z., Lee, C., 2006. Drying effects on sorption capacity of coastal sediment: The importance of architecture and polarity of organic matter. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 70, 3313–3324]. Here we further develop this technique to study sorption of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic compounds in a wide range of marine sediments. Our results show that hydrophilic compounds sorb strongly to wet coastal sediments; in dried sediments, sorption of hydrophilic compounds decreases, while sorption of hydrophobic compounds is greatly enhanced. Small compounds with aromatic rings sorb more in dried than wet coastal sediments, suggesting that aromatic groups have a stronger effect on sorption than polar groups like amino and carboxyl moieties. Sorption of lysine, glutamic acid and putrescine decreases greatly when sediment is pretreated with KCl, indicating the importance of cation ion exchange. However, α-amino acids sorb much more than corresponding β- or γ-amino acids, and l-alanine sorbs more than d-alanine, suggesting that amino group location and chiral selectivity play an important role in sorption. Comparison of lysine and tyrosine sorption in different sediments indicates that source and diagenetic state of organic matter are important factors determining sorption capacity. Lysine sorbs much more to organic detritus from salt marsh sediment than to fresh Spartina root materials, marine particles, lignin or humic acids, indicating the importance of structural integrity in sorption. Desorption hysteresis of glutamic acid, putrescine and lysine (in dried sediment) suggests the presence of enzyme-type sorption sites of high sorption energy or multiple binding mechanisms. Taken together, these findings suggest that organic matter plays the major role in amino acid sorption in organic-rich sediments.     

Effect of native and invasive cordgrass on Macoma petalum density, growth, and isotopic signatures

Ecosystem engineers can influence community and ecosystem dynamics by controlling resources, modifying the flow of energy or biomass, or changing physical characteristics of the habitat. Invasive hybrid cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora × Spartina foliosa) is an ecosystem engineer in salt marshes in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A. that raises intertidal elevations and may be either increasing C₄ plant carbon input into food webs or tying up carbon in a form that is not usable by consumers. A manipulative experiment compared abundance, growth, and stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) composition of the clam Macoma petalum (=M. balthica) among native marsh, hybrid Spartina, and mudflats in central San Francisco Bay. We found higher densities (individuals m⁻²) of M. petalum on mudflats compared to either native or hybrid Spartina (p < 0.001). Macoma petalum shell growth was significantly greater in mudflats than in either vegetation type in 2002 (p = 0.005) but not 2003. Differences in shell growth between native and hybrid Spartina were not significant. Stable isotope results showed differences between habitats in δ¹³C but not δ¹⁵N. Carbon signatures of M. petalum placed in Spartina were much more depleted than the isotopic signature of Spartina. Neither native nor hybrid Spartina appears to be a significant carbon source for M. petalum in San Francisco Bay, and we found no evidence that hybrid Spartina contributes carbon to M. petalum beyond what is provided by S. foliosa, despite the hybrid's much greater biomass. Our results show that loss of mudflat habitat, rather than increased input of C₄ carbon, is the greatest effect of the invasion of hybrid Spartina on M. petalum.     

An investigation of the sources and seasonal variations of highly branched isoprenoid hydrocarbons in intertidal sediments of the Tamar Estuary, UK

The concentrations and distributions of highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) hydrocarbons in the surficial sediments of an intertidal mudflat in the Tamar Estuary, UK, were examined at monthly intervals throughout 1990. C₂₀ and C₂₅ HBIs were present all the year round and their concentrations covaried, maximising at several times in the year, notably in April–June. Since C₂₅ HBIs are known to be produced by a species of diatom (Haslea ostrearia) in culture, it seemed likely that the sedimentary maxima were also due to production from sediment diatoms. It was interesting therefore that the April–June HBI maximum did not coincide with the (August) maximum concentration of the common diatom hydrocarbon n-heneicosa-hexaene (HE), even though HE is also produced by the diatom species which produces C₂₅ HBIs in culture. Diatoms isolated from the sediments in August produced abundant HE and only a small proportion of C₂₅ HBIs. These results suggest that HBI and HE production maximise at different diatom growth stages, or that the major sources of HBIs in the sediments are as yet unidentified diatom species. The diatoms isolated from the sediment did not produce C₂₀ HBIs and to date no organism has produced these in culture. Nonetheless, the δ¹³C values of the sedimentary C₂₀ HBIs were consistent with an algal source.     

Benthic remineralization and burial of biogenic SiO2, CaCO3, organic carbon, and detrital material in the Southern Ocean along a transect at 170° West

We investigated the composition, recycling, and mass accumulation rates of sediments along a transect in the Southern Ocean located from 66°S to 57°S at 170°W. This transect also corresponds to the location of a sediment trap mooring line. The sediments at the seven sites studied range from largely terrigenous material to nearly pure (>90%) biogenic silica. CaCO₃ is a minor but persistent component at most sites. Mass accumulation rates have been determined on the basis of excess ²³⁰Th in the sediments, i.e., ²³⁰Th-normalized accumulation rates. The influence of redistribution of sediments on the sea floor has been estimated from ¹⁴C analyses. The recycling of material delivered to the sediments has been characterized on the basis of pore water studies that make extensive use of both in situ sampling and shipboard extractions. The influence of the highly variable rates of input of particulate matter that characterize much of the Southern Ocean upon pore water gradients and fluxes across the sediment water interface has been considered.We find only poor correspondence between BSiO₂ burial fraction (=burial/particulate flux), a quantifiable measure of preservation efficiency, and BSiO₂ particulate rain along the transect. However, preservation does appear to be closely linked to a combination of sedimentation rate and particulate rain.The burial fraction of BSiO₂ is small relative to benthic rain (5–19%). Despite the small fraction buried, burial flux normalized to (sedimentation rate)^1/2 appears to provide a very consistent means of predicting benthic particulate rain over a large range of rain rates, including data from a number of different studies and environments. At sites with BSiO₂ rain 250 mmol m⁻² yr⁻¹ the average difference between predicted and observed rain is 25–30%. Such rain rates occur in many marine areas, particularly the Southern Ocean, with the result that this relationship potentially provides a means of estimating BSiO₂ benthic rain over prolonged periods in the past on the basis of readily measured sediment parameters.At the southern-most deep ocean station, the particulate flux was characterized by an extremely high C_org/CaCO₃ ratio (>10), but this high ratio does not appear to have a substantial influence on CaCO₃ burial. CaCO₃ is preserved in the sediments at this site despite a particulate flux with a 10-fold excess of C_org above that required for complete dissolution in the sediments. The unexpectedly high preservation of CaCO₃ is due largely to the very steep C_org oxidation rate profile at this site. As a result, a large fraction of the organic matter oxidized in the sediments does so in close proximity to the sediment–water interface where most of the metabolic CO₂ is neutralized by CO₃²⁻ from the overlying water, rather than by the dissolution of sedimentary CaCO₃.Diagenetic modeling indicates that at several of the stations, the remineralization fluxes of carbonate species across the sediment–water interface may not have been at steady state as a result of the highly pulsed nature of particulate rain in this environment. We estimate that at the time of our sampling it is possible that near-interface fluxes could have been a factor of 1.6–2 times the annual average.At every site on the transect, the burial fluxes of detrital material are substantially greater than the detrital particulate rain measured in the sediment traps, by as much as a factor of 40. Detrital burial is bimodal, being greatest at the southern and northern extremes of the transect. We postulate that the excess of burial over particulate rain in the south reflects the contribution of ice rafted debris at these high latitudes. Increases in the supply at the northern stations must have a different source. We believe that the excess at these stations is material eroded from the sea floor to the west, possibly on the Campbell Plateau, and advected by currents to the northern portion of the transect at depths below the shallow traps.     

COMPONENTS OF DECELLWALL ENZYMES OF THREE SEA SNAILS-CELLULASES (Cx, C1) AND PECTINASE

Enzymic mixtures were prepared from digestive organs of the three species of sea Snails. All the three mixtures can break down the cell-walls of seaweeds.The present paper reports only three of the enzymic components in these mixtures, two cellulates (Cx,C1) and one pectinase.The level of activity of the cellulose Cx is in the order: Lunclla cornata coreensis > Monodonta labio > Purpura clavigera,and of the cellulate C1 is in the order: L.. cornata coreensis >> M. labio= P clavigera. These two cellulases play an important role in decomposing cell walls of seaweeds.The level of activity of the pectinase is in the order of M,. Iahio > L. cornata coreensis > P. clavigera.