A carbon,nitrogen, and sulfur elemental and isotopic study in dated sediment cores from the Louisiana Shelf

Three sediment cores were collected off the Mississippi River delta on the Louisiana Shelf at sites that are variably influenced by recurring, summer-time water-column hypoxia and fluvial loadings. The cores, with established chronology, were analyzed for their respective carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur elemental and isotopic composition to examine variable organic matter inputs, and to assess the sediment record for possible evidence of hypoxic events. Sediment from site MRJ03-3, which is located close to the Mississippi Canyon and generally not influenced by summer-time hypoxia, is typical of marine sediment in that it contains mostly marine algae and fine-grained material from the erosion of terrestrial C4 plants. Sediment from site MRJ03-2, located closer to the mouth of the Mississippi River and at the periphery of the hypoxic zone (annual recurrence of summer-time hypoxia >50%), is similar in composition to core MRJ03-3, but exhibits more isotopic and elemental variability down-core, suggesting that this site is more directly influenced by river discharge. Site MRJ03-5 is located in an area of recurring hypoxia (annual recurrence >75%), and is isotopically and elementally distinct from the other two cores. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of this core prior to 1960 is similar to average particulate organic matter from the lower Mississippi River, and approaches the composition of C3 plants. This site likely receives a greater input of local terrestrial organic matter to the sediment. After 1960 and to the present, a gradual shift to higher values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N and lower C:N ratios suggests that algal input to these shelf sediments increased as a result of increased productivity and hypoxia. The values of C:S and δ³⁴S reflect site-specific processes that may be influenced by the higher likelihood of recurring seasonal hypoxia. In particular, the temporal variations in the C:S and δ³⁴S down-core are likely caused by changes in the rate of sulfate reduction, and hence the degree of hypoxia in the overlying water column. Based principally on the down-core C:N and C:S ratios and δ¹³C and δ³⁴S profiles, sites MRJ03-3 and MRJ03-2 generally reflect more marine organic matter inputs, while site MRJ03-5 appears to be more influenced by terrestrial deposition.     

Distribution of organic carbon in sediments and its influences on adjacent sea area in the turbidity maximum of Changjiang Estuary in China

Distributions and sources of total organic carbon （TOC）in seabed sediments and their implications for hydrodynamics are analyzed, in the turbidity maximum of the Changjiang Estuary. Ecology ecoenvironmental effects of estuary water on the continuously increasing terrigenous organic carbon from the Changjiang River are also explored through variations of organic carbon content and water quality indicators. Results show that, hydrodynamics exert important influences on distributions of organic carbon in the tur- bidity maximum of Changjiang Estuary. For their redistribution effect of terrigenous organic carbon within the moving layer in the whole region, variations from land to sea are not indicated by surficial and vertical average values of TOC and total nitrogen （TN） contents in core sediment, as well as organic stable carbon isotopes in surface sediments. However, on the long-time scale, the trend of terrigenous organic carbon decreasing from land to sea is still displayed by variations of stable carbon isotopic average values becoming heavier from land to sea. Previous studies have shown that high content of Chl a cannot appear in the Changjiang Estuary in despite of adequate nourishment supply, because photosynthesis of phytoplankton is constrained by high suspended sediment concentration（SSC）. However, an area with a high content of Chl a occurs, which may be caused by resuspended benthic algae with bottom fine grain-size sediments. Tremendous pressures are imposed on the environment of Changjiang Estuary, because of uhrophication trends and special hydrodynamics. Phytoplankton bloom area tends to extend from the outer sea to the mouth of Changjiang River.     

Characteristics and origin of carbon isotopes of n-alkanes in crude oils from the western Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China sea

The quantitative characterization of carbon isotopes of n-alkanes is commonly carried out in organic geochemical studies. Possible controls on carbon isotopes include source organic matter, maturity, fractionation during oil expulsion and migration, and the mixing of different oils. In this study of the origin of crude oils in the western Pearl River Mouth Basin, the influences of all of these factors have been considered in reaching a conclusion. Carbon isotopes of n-alkanes in the crude oils, and the extracts of the two effective source rocks (the Wenchang and Enping formations) in the basin, exhibit clear differences. The Wenchang source rocks have heavy δ¹³C values that remain almost constant or become slightly heavier with increasing carbon number. The Enping source rocks have light δ¹³C values that become lighter with increasing carbon number. Two groups of oils in this area were identified based on the carbon isotopes of the n-alkanes; groupIoils are similar to extracts of the Wenchang source rocks. However, the groupIIoils are different from both the Wenchang and Enping source rocks and the carbon isotopic profiles of their n-alkanes exhibit a “V” feature with increasing carbon number. The results of artificial thermal maturation experiments indicate that, from the early stage to the peak stage of oil generation (with EasyRo between 0.64% and 1.02%), the δ¹³C values of n-alkanes in the pyrolysis oils become heavier by about 3‰ with increasing thermal maturity, but the shape of the carbon isotopic profiles are not significantly changed. Calculated δ¹³C values of n-alkanes in “mixed” artificial pyrolysis oils indicate that the mixture of oils generated from the same source rocks with different maturities could not change the carbon isotopic profile of the n-alkanes, however, a mixing of the Wenchang and Enping oils could give the “V” feature in the profiles, similar to the groupIIoils in this area. The groupIIoils appear to be mixed Wenchang and Enping oils, the latter being the dominant component in the mixture. We conclude that the source organic matter and the degree of mixing are the main factors controlling the carbon isotopic characteristics of n-alkanes in crude oils in the western Pearl River Mouth Basin.     

珠江口淇澳岛滨海湿地沉积环境演化及其对人类活动的响应

滨海湿地作为人类活动和全球变化反应最为敏感的区域,其沉积记录可以反映出周边地区环境变化及人类活动信息。珠江口淇澳岛滨海湿地钻孔分析结果表明,在中全新世期间淇澳岛附近海域为河口湾环境,在风化层以上开始出现淤积,但在4 200 a BP前后受极冷气候的影响,沉积物粗化;自2 500 a BP以来,沉积环境相对稳定,在小冰期期间略有变化。沉积速率计算结果显示:淇澳岛附近海域自中全新世高海面以来的平均沉积速率为0.29 cm/a,4 160~2 500 a BP、2 500 a BP-1488年、1488-1893年、1893-1986年、1990-2007年期间的平均沉积速率分别为:0.17 cm/a、0.23 cm/a、0.35 cm/a、1.37 cm/a和5.94 cm/a,沉积速率逐渐增大,反映了珠江三角洲演化过程中沉积相与沉积环境的变化;1986-1990年期间的海堤建造极大地扰动了该钻孔上部的沉积过程,在工程施工期间共沉积了厚度约112 cm的沉积层,而在海堤建成后,沉积速率也显著增大。沉积物总有机碳、总氮和C/N值的垂向分布表明,在4 160~2 500 a BP期间受海洋环境影响较大,沉积物中有机碳以海源为主,2 500 a BP以来沉积物中碳、氮含量明显增大,C/N也相应变大,有机碳主要来源于陆源输入,但在小冰期期间海源有机碳贡献略有所增大;近百年来由于受人类活动影响显著,陆源有机碳的贡献快速增加。     

白令海颗粒有机物碳、氮同位素组成及其生物地球化学意义

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of particulate organic matter(POM) were measured for samples collected from the Bering Sea in 2010 summer. Particulate organic carbon(POC) and particulate nitrogen(PN) showed high concentrations in the shelf and slope regions and decreased with depth in the slope and basin, indicating that biological processes play an important role on POM distribution. The low C/N ratio and heavy isotopic composition of POM, compared to those from the Alaska River, suggested a predominant contribution of marine biogenic organic matter in the Bering Sea. The fact that δ13C and δ15N generally increased with depth in the Bering Sea basin demonstrated that organic components with light carbon or nitrogen were decomposed preferentially during their transport to deep water. However, the high δ13C and δ15N observed in shelf bottom water were mostly resulted from sediment resuspension.     

福建省兴化湾、九龙江河口和东山湾潮间带沉积物岩心碘研究

用碱熔法处理样品,水沥取,用分光光度法测量了采集自福建省兴化湾、九龙江河口和东山湾3个海湾潮间带沉积物岩心的碘分布。兴化湾、九龙江河口和东山湾3岩心中的碘含量分别为2.5~43.7,17.3~39.6和11.3~29.1 mg/kg。3个沉积物岩心中的碘含量稍高于福建省的土壤的碘含量,与我国海域的沉积物碘含量在同一水平,但明显低于文献报道的开阔海域沉积物的碘含量。兴化湾和东山湾沉积物中的碘与有机碳含量有较好的相关性;在九龙江河口采集的岩心中的碘与有机物碳含量的相关性较差。推测海洋源的沉积物碘与有机碳含量相关性较好,而陆源沉积物的碘与有机碳含量相关性较差。     

黄河口盐沼湿地沉积物碳储量调查评估

文章依据2021年9月黄河口盐沼湿地沉积物调查数据,分析了沉积物粒度、容重、有机碳分布特征,并对黄河口盐沼湿地沉积物碳密度及碳储量进行评估。结果显示,黄河口盐沼湿地沉积物类型以粉砂为主,部分层次为砂质粉砂和黏土质粉砂;4种植被类型中,不同深度的沉积物容重差异性不大,互花米草和盐地碱蓬分布区容重整体大于柽柳和芦苇分布区;互花米草、盐地碱蓬、芦苇和柽柳分布区沉积物中有机碳含量分别为0.199%、0.200%、0.184%和0.161%,互花米草和盐地碱蓬分布区底质中有机碳含量较芦苇和柽柳分布区偏高,这与互花米草和盐地碱蓬分布区含有更多的黏土组分有关;计算得出,黄河口盐沼湿地沉积物总碳储量为33.47万t,其中互花米草分布区为14.31万t,芦苇分布区为12.05万t,柽柳分布区为5.27万t,盐地碱蓬分布区为1.84万t。     

Historical contamination of PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, and heavy metals in Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay sediment cores

Profiles of trace contaminant concentrations in sediment columns can be a natural archive from which pollutant inputs into coastal areas can be reconstructed. Reconstruction of historical inputs of anthropogenic chemicals is important for improving management strategies and evaluating the success of recent pollution controls measures. Here we report a reconstruction of historical contamination into three coastal sites along the US Gulf Coast: Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay. Within the watersheds of these areas are extensive agricultural lands as well as more than 50% of the chemical and refinery capacity of the USA. Despite this pollution potential, relatively low concentrations of trace metals and trace organic contaminants were found in one core from each of the three sites. Concentrations and fluxes of most trace metals found in surface sediments at these three sites, when normalized to Al, are typical for uncontaminated Gulf Coast sediments. Hydrophobic trace organic contaminants that are anthropogenic (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, DDTs, and polychlorinated biphenyls) are found in sediments from all locations. The presence in surface sediments from the Mississippi River Delta of low level trace contaminants such as DDTs, which were banned in the early 1970's, indicate that they are still washed out from cultivated soils. It appears that the DDTs profile in that sediment core was produced by a combination of erosion processes of riverine and other sedimentary deposits during floods. Most of the pollutant profiles indicate that present-day conditions have improved from the more contaminated conditions in the 1950-1970's, before the advent of the Clean Water Act.     

Early diagenesis of chloropigment biomarkers in the lower Mississippi River and Louisiana shelf: implications for carbon cycling in a river-dominated margin

Sediment core samples were collected from two sites in the lower Mississippi River, an oxic shelf site and a hypoxic shelf site (in September 1998 and July 1999), and from a cross-shelf transect (in April 2000), to examine the differential effects of redox and sedimentation rate on carbon decay dynamics in a river-dominated margin. Downcore distribution of pigments, bulk organic carbon and nitrogen, and radioactive isotopes (²¹⁰Pb, ⁷Be) were used to evaluate the decomposition and preservation of pigments and bulk organic carbon. The distinctly different sedimentary regimes and dynamic nature of the LA shelf limit the application of diagenetic models. Sedimentation processes in the lower Mississippi River and oxic shelf sites were significantly impacted by the river discharge. In areas with low sedimentation, the depth of the surface mixed layer fluctuated with seasonal variation of weather forcing. It was observed that pigment decay rate constants in the mixed layer (7.52 year⁻¹ for chlorophyll-a) were greater than those in the accumulation layer (0.14–0.22 year⁻¹ for chlorophyll-a) by 1–2 orders of magnitude. This suggests that enhanced decomposition of reactive organic carbon occurred in the mixed layer at locations with low sedimentation rates—due to higher decay rates. Conversely, at locations with high sedimentation rates (>10 cm year⁻¹), the reactive carbon pool was rapidly buried below the mixed layer. The surface mixed layer likely worked as a biogeochemical reactor receiving high inputs of phytodetritus, supported by an active microbial community. We propose that despite the frequency of occurrence of bottom water hypoxia on the Louisiana shelf, sedimentation rate and lability of organic matter are more important in controlling the preservation of organic carbon.     

九龙江口潮滩表层沉积物有机质的分布、来源及沉积环境指示意义

本研究旨在揭示九龙江口潮滩有机质含量及其来源的时空分异规律,寻找有效识别潮滩沉积环境的有机碳指标,以便更好地将有机碳应用于河口沉积微相识别和古环境研究。在九龙江口潮滩不同地貌单元,于夏季和冬季采集41个表层沉积物,进行粒度、总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)和稳定碳同位素(δ¹³C)测试。结果显示：从高潮滩至低潮滩,沉积物粒度逐渐变粗,TOC、TN和C/N变小,δ¹³C值偏正。高潮滩有机质来源以陆源和红树林贡献为主,中潮滩以海源和互花米草贡献为主,低潮滩以海源贡献为主。九龙江口潮滩有机质的分布和来源受控于河口陆海相互作用的季节变化、潮滩沉积动力分异和潮滩植被分布。高潮滩与中–低潮滩之间,TOC存在显著性差异,TN、δ¹³C存在极显著性差异,因此参数组合TOC、TN和δ¹³C可作为高潮滩与中–低潮滩的有效判别指标。     

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.     

桑沟湾及附近海域表层沉积物碳氮同位素分析及有机质来源

Naturally existing stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes are important in the study of sedimentary organic matter sources. To identify the sources of sedimentary organic matter in Sanggou Bay and its adjacent areas, which is characterized by high-density shellfish and seaweed aquaculture, the grain size, organic carbon(OC), total nitrogen(TN), carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition(δ13C and δ15N) of organic matter in the surface sediment were determined. The results showed that, in August, sedimentary OC and TN ranged from 0.17% to 0.76% and 0.04% to 0.14%, respectively. In November, OC and TN ranged from 0.23% to 0.87% and 0.05% to 0.14%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between OC and TN(R=0.98, P0.0001), indicating that OC and TN were homologous. In August, the δ13C and δ15N of organic matter varied from-23.06‰ to-21.59‰ and 5.10‰ to 6.31‰, respectively. In November, δ13C and δ15N ranged from-22.87‰ to-21.34‰ and 5.13‰ to 7.31‰, respectively. This study found that the major sources of sedimentary organic matter were marine shellfish biodeposition, seaweed farming, and soil organic matter. Using a three-end-member mixed model, we estimated that the dominant source of sedimentary organic matter was shellfish biodeposition, with an average contribution rate of 65.53% in August and 43.00% in November. Thus, shellfish farming had a significant influence on the coastal carbon cycle.     

黄河口新生湿地沉积物中的金属元素及其环境指示意义

通过对黄河口新生湿地沉积物岩芯中常量元素、稀土元素以及重金属分布特征的研究,探讨了滨海湿地沉积物中金属元素的环境指示意义。结果表明,大部分金属元素的分布模式类似,均在40 cm左右出现明显的低值区,这主要是由黄河携带而来的大量陆源物质的输入造成的。沉积物粒度组成以及有机质含量对金属元素的分布影响显著。常量元素中,Na₂O与其他元素变化趋势相反,反应了潮汐对滨海湿地的侵蚀作用;黄河口新生湿地沉积物单个稀土元素的含量大小顺序与黄河沉积物和渤海沉积物基本一致,稀土元素总量则高于黄河沉积物而低于渤海沉积物,表明黄河口湿地沉积物具有河流泥沙和海水颗粒物双重来源,而轻重分异比的变化则反映了物质输入的改变;而在较高的有机质和粘土含量的影响下,黄河口新生湿地沉积物中重金属发生了明显的富集。     

Sedimentary records of eutrophication in the Changjiang Estuary upwelling area over last 100 a

The upwelling area in the Changjiang Estuary was selected to collect the core, where the red tide occurred frequently and hypoxic existed. The total organic carbon （TOC）, total nitrogen （TN）, biogenic silica （BSi） and stable organic carbon isotopic ratios（δ13 Corg） were determined on the 210pb-dated sediment core. The concentrations of TOC, TN, BSi as well as their sedimentation fluxes have in- creased to some extent since the 1970s. TOC and TN fluxes increased about 45%, 36% respectively. The average δ13 Coorg value in the core was -23.67 ×10^-3 which remained nearly constant before the 20 century. The δ13 Corg values increased after the 1900s, two marked increases were observed from the 1950s and the 1970s. A simple δ13 Cors model was used to estimate the contribution of terrigenous and marine organic matter inputs for the sediment, which indicated the increase in accumulation since the 1970s has been almost exclusively marine. The increasing of marine organic matter accumulation （TOC, TN and BSi） was corresponding with the increasing of fertilizer consumption and the NO3-N budgets from the Changjiang River. The riverine runoff of fertilizers and nutrients stimulated the algae blooming. Enhanced primary production resulted in an enrichment of organic matter in the sediment. These data support the hypothesis that anthropogenic nutrient loading has been a significant factor on the eutrophication in the Changjiang Estuary.     

Carbon isotopic composition and flux of particulateorganic matter in the Changjing River

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Carbon isotopes and lignin phenols for tracing the floods during the past 70 years in the middle reach of the Changjiang River

The Lake Tian E Zhou(TEZ,an oxbow lake)was formed during the rerouting of the Changjiang River in 1972,with strong influences from the main river channel and flood events.Herein,a sediment core was collected from the Lake TEZ for the measurements of carbon isotopes and biomarkers,including stable carbon isotopes(δ13C),radiocarbon composition(?14C),and lignin phenols,as well as lead-210 to reconstruct recent heavy flood events over the past 70 years.At the 24–26 cm interval,the sediment contained the highest OC%,TN%,and lignin phenols content,as well as significantly depleted 13C but enriched 14C,corresponding to the extreme flood event in 1998.In addition,statistics from t-test showed that lignin phenols normalized to OC(Λ8),the concentration of 3,5-dihydroxy benzoic acid(3,5-BD),and the ratio of p-hydroxy benzophenone to total hydroxyl phenols(PHB/HP)were all significantly different between the layers containing flood deposits and the layers deposited under normal non-flood conditions(p<0.05).These results indicate that the later three parameters are highly related to flood events and can be used as compelling proxies,along with sediment chronology,for hydrological changes and storm/flood events in the river basin and coastal marine environments.     

Stable isotopes in deep-sea living (stained) foraminifera from the Mozambique Channel (eastern Africa): multispecies signatures and paleoenvironmental application

Oxygen and carbon isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) have been investigated in carbonate tests of deep-sea foraminifera living in the Mozambique Channel (eastern Africa) to understand how environmental constraints (e.g., organic matter, oxygenation) control the intra- and interspecific variability of isotopic signatures. 197 living individuals, including eight different species, from various microhabitats within the sediment were sorted from sediment samples gathered at two stations on the Malagasy upper slope. Results show that the δ¹⁸O values of foraminiferal taxa were not controlled by microhabitat pattern. They presented tremendous and intriguing intraspecific variability that is not explained by the classical ontogenetic effect. The δ¹³C values of infaunal foraminiferal taxa do not show a 1:1 relationship with the bottom water δ¹³C DIC and do not present a constant offset from it; instead, they appear to be mainly controlled by a microhabitat effect. The lower δ¹³C values of shallow, intermediate, and deep infaunal taxa at the deeper station compared to those seen at the shallower station reflect the enhanced exportation of sedimentary organic matter at the sediment–water interface, and its related mineralization within the upper sediments. The ?δ¹³C between shallow/very shallow infaunal species (i.e., Hoeglundina elegans, Uvigerina hispida) and intermediate/deep infaunal species (i.e., Melonis barleeanus, Globobulimina barbata) permits insight into (1) the exportation of organic matter to the seafloor and (2) the various degradation pathways for organic detritus in the benthic environments off NW Madagascar.     

Paleoenvironmental records from the northern South China Sea since the Last Glacial Maximum

Core ZHS-176 contains the paleoenvironmental records from the northern South China Sea (NSCS) since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). A coupled approach based on clay mineral assemblages, planktonic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes, and calcium carbonate content is used to trace the sources of the fine-grained sediment and to investigate the paleoenviornmental evolution in this area. Clay mineral assemblages are dominated by illite (average about 39%) and chlorite (about 27%), which comes mainly from Taiwan and the East China Sea. Kaolinite, which accounts for about 13%, comes mainly from the Zhujiang (Pearl) River, and Luzon Island is the main source for smectite (about 21%). The planktonic foraminiferal oxygen isotopic oscillations during the last glacial period are coeval with climate variations recorded in the Greenland ice core and Western Pacific sediment. These variations include the LGM, Heinrich event 1, Bφlling-Allerφd (B/A), and Younger Dryas. For the Holocene, three periods of strong precipitation (S1-S3) and three periods of weak precipitation (W1-W3) are identified. The oxygen isotopic record exhibits corre-lation with climate records from distant regions, including the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere, providing evidence for global tele-connection among regional climate. A brief, negative planktonic foraminiferal carbon isotopic excursion during B/A reflects increased methane released from marine gas hydrate due to the rapid warming of the water. By comparing calcium carbonate content curves of the core ZHS-176 with these of other five boreholes lying above the lysocline, a remarkable low calcium carbonate event is found during the early Holocene in NSCS.     

Organic carbon stable isotope ratios of continental margin sediments

Stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of total organic carbon were measured in surface sediments from the continental margins of the northern and western Gulf of Mexico, the north coast of Alaska and the Niger Delta. Gulf of Mexico outer-shelf isotope ratios were in the same range as has been reported for Atlantic coastal shelf sediments, ?21.5 to ?20‰. Off large rivers including the Mississippi, Niger and Atchafalaya (Louisiana), δ¹³C values increased from terrigenous-influenced (around ?24‰) to typically marine ($\text{～?20‰}$) within a few tens of kilometers from shore. This change was accompanied by a decrease in the amount of woody terrigenous plant remains in the sediment. Alaskan continental margin samples from the cold Beaufort Sea had isotopically more negative carbon (?25.5 to ?22.6‰) than did warmer-water sediments. The data indicate that the bulk of organic carbon in Recent sediments from nearshore to outer continental shelves is marine derived.     

The nearshore western Beaufort Sea ecosystem: Circulation and importance of terrestrial carbon in arctic coastal food webs

The nearshore shelf of the Beaufort Sea is defined by extreme physical and biological gradients that have a distinctive influence on its productivity and trophic structure. Massive freshwater discharge from the Mackenzie River, along with numerous smaller rivers and streams elsewhere along the coast, produce an environment that is decidedly estuarine in character, especially in late spring and summer. Consequently, the Beaufort coast provides a critical habitat for several species of amphidromous fishes, some of which are essential to the subsistence lifestyle of arctic native populations. Because of its low in situ productivity, allochthonous inputs of organic carbon, identifiable on the basis of isotopic composition, are important to the functioning of this arctic estuarine system. Coastal erosion and river discharge are largely responsible for introducing high concentrations of suspended sediment from upland regions into the nearshore zone. The depletion in the ¹³C content of invertebrate and vertebrate consumers, which drops about 4–5‰ eastward along the eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea coast, may reflect the assimilation of this terrestrial organic matter into local food webs. In addition, the large range in ¹³C values of fauna collected in the eastern Beaufort (nearly 8‰) compared to the same species in the northeastern Chukchi (3‰), indicate a lower efficiency of carbon transfer between trophic levels in the eastern Beaufort. The wider spread in stable isotope values in the eastern Beaufort may also reflect a decoupling between benthic and pelagic components. Isotopic tracer studies of amphidromous fishes in the Simpson Island barrier island lagoon revealed that terrestrial (peat) carbon may contribute as much as 30–50% of their total dietary requirements. On the eastern Alaska Beaufort Sea coast, the δ¹³C values of arctic cod collected in semi-enclosed lagoons were more depleted, by 3–4‰, compared to fish collected in the coastal Beaufort Sea. Calculations from isotopic mixing equations indicate cod from lagoons may derive 70% of their carbon from terrestrial sources. The δ¹⁵N values of lagoon fish were also 4‰ lower than coastal specimens, reflective of the lower δ¹⁵N values of terrestrially derived nitrogen (0–1.5‰ compared to 5–7‰ for phytoplankton). The role of terrestrial carbon in arctic estuarine food webs is especially important in view of the current warming trend in the arctic environment and the role of advective processes that transport carbon along the nearshore shelf. Biogeochemical studies of the arctic coastal estuarine environment may provide more insights into the function of these biologically complex ecosystems.