Composition of the organic matter of the water,suspended matter,and bottom sediments in Nha Trang Bay in Vietnam in the South China Sea

Research has been conducted in Nha Trang Bay (Southern Vietnam, the South China Sea) at the section from the estuary of the Cai River to the marine part of the bay, as well as in the area of coral reefs. The objects of the studies are the river and sea waters, the suspended matter, and the bottom sediments. Data on the dissolved organic carbon and the total nitrogen in the water are obtained. The organic carbon content is estimated in the suspended matter; the organic carbon and the molecular and group composition of the n-alkanes are determined in the bottom sediments. The molecular and group composition of the n-alkanes in the bottom sediments of the landfill have made it possible to identify three types of organic matter (OM): marine, mixed, and of mainly terrigenous origin. All the types of OM are closely related to the specificity of the sedimentation and the hydrodynamics of the waters in this water area.     

Oxygen and Sulfides in Bottom Sediments of the Coastal Sevastopol Region of Crimea

Spatial variations in the distribution and fluxes of dissolved oxygen and sulfide in bottom sediments of Omega and Sevastopol bays have been studied. The results of analysis reveal that the distribution of dissolved oxygen and sulfide in pore water depends mostly on seasonal variations in the oxygen concentration in bottom water, grain size, the organic carbon content in bottom sediments, and, additionally for Sevastopol Bay, the iron content. The oxygen flux at the bottom of Sevastopol Bay is 20 times larger in winter–spring compared to that of Omega Bay. Anaerobic conditions in Sevastopol Bay sediments are observed much closer to the surface, with their subsequent development in bottom water.     

Deep-water foraminifera communities of the Arctic Ocean

Sixteen foraminifera communities were distinguished on the basis of the quantitative analysis of the composition of the benthic foraminifera in the bottom sediments sampled at 254 stations at depths from 200 to 4411 m in the Arctic Ocean. The distribution of these communities is controlled by the environmental factors, which depend on the latitude and bathymetric zones of the Arctic Ocean, the currents, the water masses, and the content of calcium carbonate and organic carbon in the bottom water and in the sediments.     

Investigation of the mechanism of the long-term evolution of the carbon cycle in the ecosystem of the Sevastopol bay

We analyze the components of the carbon system of the Sevastopol bay waters and the balance of main sediment-forming substances using the data of field investigations in 1998–2008. The interannual variations of total inorganic carbon and the equilibrium partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the bay water are noted. An increase in the flux of carbon dioxide into the bay and in the content of organic carbon in bottom sediments is revealed, and an explanation of this phenomenon is given. The priority accumulation of organic carbon in the sediments of the bay is established. We assess the interannual variation in the relative abundances of organic and inorganic carbon as an index of the carbon cycle stability.     

胶州湾海水-沉积物界面氮、磷、铁的地球化学特征

对胶州湾底层水溶解氧、总氮、总磷、溶解无机氮、活性磷酸盐、铁及孔隙水中溶解无机氮、磷酸盐、铁和沉积物粒度、有机碳进行了分析。结果显示除铵氮外,孔隙水浓度明显高于底层水中浓度,其中硝酸氮、亚硝酸氮、活性磷酸盐、铁在孔隙水中的浓度分别为在底层水中浓度的17.8、9.3、12.5、7.7倍,暗示孔隙水中的物质可能向上覆水体扩散。在横向上,底层水及孔隙水中硝酸氮、亚硝酸氮、铵氮、活性磷酸盐都呈东岸高西岸低的分布规律,在西南部出现低值。Fe在底层水及孔隙水中的分布规律为东低西高,然而在沉积物中则与此正好相反。氮、磷、铁主要补给源有河流输入、工业生活污染排放、海洋生物自身分解以及孔隙水的释放。影响氮、磷、铁分布的主要因素为物源、河流输入及水动力条件,同时受到沉积物粒度的制约。相关分析显示,溶解氧、有机碳、铁对水体中磷及氮的分布具有某种制约作用。     

Dissolved organic carbon in sediments from the eastern North Atlantic

Profiles of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured in the pore water of sediments from 1000, 2000 and 3500 m water depth in the eastern North Atlantic. A net DOC accumulation in the pore waters was observed, which followed closely the zonation of microbial respiration in these sediments. The concentration of pore water DOC in the zone of oxic respiration was elevated relative to that in the bottom ocean water. The resulting upward gradient across the sediment–water interface indicated a steady state diffusive benthic flux, F_DOC, of 0.25–0.44 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹ from these sediments. Subsequent increase in the concentration of DOC in the pore water occurred only in the sediments from 1000 and 2000 m water depth that supported anoxic respiration, leading to a deep concentration maximum. By contrast, in the sediments from 3500 m water depth, a deep concentration minimum was measured, coincident with minimal postoxic respiration in this near-abyssal setting. The gradient-based F_DOC represented approximately 14% of the total remineralized organic carbon (TCR=sum of F_DOC and depth-integrated organic carbon oxidation rate) in the sediments from 1000 and 2000 m water depth, while it was 36% of the TCR in the sediments from 3500 m water depth. A covariance of particulate organic carbon (POC) and pore water DOC with depth in the sediments was evident, more consistently at the deepest site. While the covariance can be related to biotic processes in these sediments, an alternative interpretation suggests a possible contribution of sorption to the biotic control on sedimentary organic carbon cycling. The steady state diagenetic conditions in which this may occur can be conceivable for some organic-poor deep-sea locations, but direct evidence is clearly required to validate them.     

Carbon inputs and distribution in estuaries of turbid rivers: the Yang Tze and Yellow rivers (China)

Particulate and dissolved organic and inorganic carbon concentrations were measured in the Yang Tze (Changjiang) and Huanghe (Yellow) river estuaries, during two different seasons. During the winter, the organic matter in the suspended load of both estuarine systems was dominantly of terrestrial origin, while in the summer, there were significant contributions from aquatic production. In these turbid rivers, there is a strong positive correlation between the concentrations of total suspended matter and particulate organic carbon, probably because biological production is inhibited when turbidity exceeds a certain limit. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) does not exhibit a conservative behavior in these estuarine systems. High dissolved organic carbon values in bottom water samples suggest remobilization of DOC from near-surface, bottom sediments. Dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations were very high in the Huanghe River, and the trend in the calculated saturation indices for calcite suggests precipitation of carbonate in this estuarine system. There is no such evidence for carbonate precipitation in the Yang Tze River.     

Early diagenesis in recent bottom sediments of the Dvina Bay (White Sea)

Investigations in the water column and bottom sediments including entrapped water were carried out on expeditions of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in the Dvina Bay, the White Sea. We studied the transformation of particulate organic matter at the biogeochemical barrier between the water and bottom and in the underlying Holocene sediments. Low rates of the early diagenesis of sediments caused by low values of primary production in the conditions of high fluxes of terrigenous organic matter were established. The low temperatures of microorganisms habitat play the secondary role.     

Fate and recycling of carbon compounds

This article is a brief and selective introduction to the literature and concepts concerning the fate and recycling of carbon compounds in the marine environment. It provides a framework for the other papers in the session and emphasises the areas of ignorance and the implications to be drawn from them.The fate of carbon compounds in oceanic water columns and sediments is reviewed in terms of regions and processes. Particular attention is given to certain regions — surface film and associated zone, the water column and the upper layer of the bottom sediments — and processes — microbial activity, association of organic materials and minerals and the formation and diagenesis of particulate organic matter.Most of the organic matter in the ocean is rapidly recycled but the processes, rates and fluxes are poorly understood. Major areas of ignorance include the half-lives of individual compounds and of classes of compounds and the role of microorganisms, both in the water column and in the bottom sediments. Measurements and experiments need to be conducted in the oceans and in the laboratory. Chemical and biochemical changes in the short and long term require recognition if the residual organic matter of sediments is to be interpreted in terms of past oceanic conditions.     

乳山湾外低氧海域沉积物中有机碳、氮、磷及其形态特征分析

根据2009年8月在乳山湾及其毗邻海域的综合调查,分析了该海域表层沉积物中有机碳、氮、磷含量及其组成形态的变化,初步探讨了影响底质理化参数变化的原因及对乳山湾外近岸底层低氧形成的影响.结果表明,乳山湾外近海为粉砂质岸滩,以细颗粒为主;底质中有机碳含量介于0.49％ ～0.93％,平均值为0.69％;总氮含量介于382～1020 mg/kg,平均值为671 mg/kg;可溶性总氮含量介于23.0 ～ 60.0 mg/kg,平均值为44.0mg/kg,其中可溶性有机氮和氨氮分别占可溶性总氮的58.8％和38.8％;总磷含量介于138～769 mg/kg,平均值为356 mg/kg,有机磷是占有绝对优势的磷形态(62.5％).研究区域沉积物中总氮和湾内相当,有机碳、总磷含量普遍低于乳山湾内,但均明显高于南黄海区域,且呈还原性状态.调查区域内沉积物中相对较高的有机碳、氮、磷可能是在潮流作用下乳山湾与外海的物质交换所致,其耗氧过程是导致底层溶解氧亏损的重要原因,值得进一步关注.     

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.     

The organic carbon in the water,the particulate matter,and the upper layer of the bottom sediments of the west Kara Sea

In three sections in the Kara Sea, the contents of the dissolved and particulate organic carbon (the DOC and POC, respectively), as well as of the organic carbon of the bottom sediments (C_org) were determined. The contents of varied from 6.3 to 2400 μg/l for the DOC and from 0.84 to 12.2 mg of C/l for the POC. The average concentrations for all the samples tested amounted to 200 μg/l for the DOC (n = 78, σ = 368) and 2.7 mg/l for the POC (n = 92, σ = 2.7). The concentrations of Corg in the samples of the upper layer of the bottom sediments of the area treated varied from 0.13 to 2.10% of the dry substance at an average value of 0.9% (n = 21, σ= 0.49%). It is shown that the distribution of the different forms of organic matter (OM) is an indicator of the supply and spreading of the particulate matter in the Kara Sea and that the DOC and POC of the Kara Sea are formed under the impact of the runoff of the Ob and Yenisei river waters. It is found that the distribution of the OM of the bottom sediments in the surveyed area of the Kara Sea is closely related to their grain-size composition and to the structure of the currents in the area studied. The variations in the Corg content in the bottom sediment cores from the zone of riverine and marine water mixing represent the variability of the OM burial.     

The partitioning of organic carbon fluxes and sedimentary organic matter decomposition rates in the ocean

The partitioning of annual organic carbon fluxes from five stations located in the vicinity of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge and the Peru continental margin suggests that 35–85% of the total near-bottom organic carbon flux is utilized at or near the sediment-water interface. These estimates have large uncertainties, but illustrate that assessments of organic carbon utilization can be made by several stepwise approaches which are generally applicable to a wide spectrum of marine environments.In one approach, the mineralization of organic carbon from the sediments was predicted from both sedimentary organic carbon and pore water nutrient profiles with comparable results. Neglecting sediment mixing, the rate constants of the anoxic sediments off Peru range from 0.1 × 10^?3 to 4 × 10^?3 y^?1, and rate constants derived for oxic SW Pacific sediments range from 3 × 10^?4 to 7 × 10^?4 y^?1. As with other values reported for sulfate reducing sediments by Toth and Lerman (1977) and for oxic central Pacific sediments by Müller and Mangini (1980), log-log plots of rate constants vs. sedimentation rate define two parallel linear relationships for oxic and anoxic sediments, respectively. The apparently enhanced rates for oxic environments may result from large benthic organisms which redistribute a portion of the available detritus and in doing so convert it into more easily accessible and metabolizable organic matter. In low-oxygen environments, bottom feeders and infauna are less abundant and more likely to irrigate rapidly accumulating sediments.     

Trace element and molecular markers of organic carbon dynamics along a shelf–basin continuum in sediments of the western Arctic Ocean

Molecular organic biomarkers together with trace element composition were investigated in sediments east of Barrow Canyon in the western Arctic Ocean to determine sources and recycling of organic carbon in a continuum from the shelf to the basin. Algal biomarkers (polyunsaturated and short-chain saturated fatty acids, 24-methylcholesta-5,24(28)-dien-3β-ol, dinosterol) highlight the substantial contribution of organic matter from water column and sea-ice primary productivity in shelf environments, while redox markers such as acid volatile sulfide (AVS), Mn, and Re indicate intense metabolism of this material leading to sediment anoxia. Shelf sediments also receive considerable inputs from terrestrial organic carbon, with biomarker composition suggesting the presence of multiple pools of terrestrial organic matter segregated by age/lability or hydrodynamic sorting. Sedimentary metabolism was not as intense in slope sediments as on the shelf; however, sufficient labile organic matter is present to create suboxic and anoxic conditions, at least intermittently, as organic matter is focused towards the slope. Basin sediments also showed evidence for episodic delivery of labile organic carbon inputs despite the strong physical controls of water depth and sea-ice cover. Principal components analysis of the lipid biomarker data was used to estimate fractions of preserved recalcitrant (of terrestrial origin) and labile (of marine origin) organic matter in the sediments, with ranges of 12–79%, 14–45%, and 37–66% found for the shelf, slope, and basin cores, respectively. On average, the relative preserved terrestrial organic matter in basin sediments was 56%, suggesting exchange of organic carbon between nearshore and basin environments in the western Arctic.     

Variation of reactivity of particulate and sedimentary organic matter along the Zhujiang River Estuary

To investigate organic matter source and reactivity in the Zhujiang River (Pearl River)Estuary and its adjacent areas, particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate hydrolysable amino acids (PHAA), and Chl a during two cruises in July 1999 and July 2000 were measured. The highest POC and PHAA concentration was observed in the waters with maximum Chl a. The spectra distribution,relative content (dry weight in milligram per gram), PHAA-C% POC and other indicators such as the ratios of amino acids vs. amino sugars (AA/AS) and glucosamine vs. galactosamine (Glum/Gal) suggested that particulate amino acids in the water column and sediments in the Zhujiang River Estuary were mainly derived from biogenic processes rather than transported from terrestrial erosion. In inner estuary where high turbidity was often observable, organic matter was mainly contributed by re-suspension of bottom sediments with revealed zooplankton, microbial reworked characteristics, which suggest that these organic matters were relatively “old“. In the estuarine brackish region, organic matter in water column is mainly contributed by relatively fresh, easily degradable phytoplankton derived organic matter.During physical - biological processes within the eastuary, organic matter derived from phytoplankton was subjected to alteration by zooplankton grazing and bacterial reworking.     

末次盛冰期以来冲绳海槽中部沉积物有机碳和磷的地球化学研究

利用元素及同位素地球化学方法研究了冲绳海槽中部沉积物岩芯中有机碳及磷的地球化学特征及影响因素。结果表明,冲绳海槽沉积速率（16.5~32.5 cm/ka）变化小,不是沉积物中有机碳埋藏的重要影响因素。相对于全新世氧化性底水环境,末次盛冰期/冰消期冲绳海槽缺氧底水环境提高了沉积物对有机碳的埋藏效率。冲绳海槽沉积物中各形态磷的相对含量与其他边缘海沉积物中的相似。交换态磷（Ex-P）含量低、变化小。末次盛冰期/冰消期缺氧底水环境下铁氧化物的还原溶解导致铁结合磷（Fe-P）释放以及自生磷矿物（Au-P）的形成。全新世氧化性底水条件有利于铁氧化物的有效再生及对磷的再吸附,但不利于Au-P的保存。总有机碳（TOC）和有机磷（Org-P）之间良好的相关性表明TOC埋藏对Org-P含量的重要控制作用。冲绳海槽沉积物中碎屑磷（De-P）含量低于长江口及东海陆架沉积物中的含量,这与陆源碎屑向外海传输减弱有关。在约9.3 ka BP（岩芯200 cm深度）,TOC、Fe-P、Org-P、De-P以及Fe_HR均出现的极小值可能由物质坡移造成。     

Resuspension-induced partitioning of organic carbon between solid and solution phases from a river–ocean transition

Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the net exchange of organic carbon (OC) between sediments and overlying water during episodes of resuspension. Surface sediment samples collected from six locations within the Hudson River Estuary and the Inner New York Bight were resuspended in their respective bottom waters for periods ranging from 30 s to 2 h. After resuspension, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration generally reached levels greater than that predicted by conservative mixing of pore water and bottom water, indicating net release of OC from the sediment particles. The amount of OC released during the 1-h extractions comprised ≤0.1% of the total sediment pool, but correlated positively (R²=0.65, P<0.052) with the amount of particulate organic carbon (POC) found in the high-density fraction of the sediment matrix. This suggests that the mineral-bound fraction of sedimentary OC was the major source for the excess DOC released into solution, and that across various sedimentary environments, only a small (but fairly constant) fraction of the total sedimentary POC may be poised for rapid transfer to the water column.     

应用有机碳同位素技术研究湛江湾生态环境的变化过程

随着工业化进程的加快,湛江湾的生态环境承载力受到了极大的考验。为了解湛江湾生态环境的变化过程,文中利用湛江湾表层柱状沉积物样品中总有机碳含量(TOC)及其稳定同位素、总氮含量(TN)和C/N值的测定,结合端元混合模型,分析了湛江湾沉积物中有机质的来源,探讨了沉积物有机碳同位素的主要影响因素。结果表明,湛江湾沉积物中有机质主要来源为自生藻类,同时也受一定程度陆源输入的影响。沉积序列的元素地球化学参数表明,沉积物δ13C值呈现短暂的负偏随后长期正偏的趋势。底部的负偏可能与大气CO2浓度增加有关,随后δ13C主体正偏的趋势主要受控于气候转暖、生产力增加以及富营养化程度增加的共同影响,暗示了人类活动对湛江湾的生态环境的影响逐渐加剧。其中,人类活动相关的工业、农业有机污染物排放可能是不断加剧海水富营养化的主要原因。     

Transfer of organic carbon on the Moroccan Atlantic continental margin (NW Africa): productivity and lateral advection

Land—ocean transfer of sediment and organic matter along the Moroccan Atlantic margin (NW Africa) seems to have been very effective during the last 130 ka. In a marine core from this region, we found total organic carbon (TOC) values ranging from 0.3 to 1.7 dry wt% of bulk sediments. These relatively high values are fairly unusual, as the core was recovered from an open-ocean environment that is currently oligotrophic. In order to explain this trend, more typical of an upwelling eutrophic setting, three processes were evaluated: (1) in situ primary production associated with the extension of the Cape Ghir upwelling filament, (2) bottom water conditions that may favour organic carbon preservation and (3) lateral organic carbon advection. The site occasionally experienced more eutrophic conditions, especially during termination I; here, we recorded a relative high abundance of the planktonic foraminifer Globigerina bulloides, suggesting high primary production. However, given the absence of correlation between TOC and G. bulloides records, high TOC storage cannot be attributed exclusively to primary production. Preservation factors such as bottom water ventilation are also ruled out. Lateral TOC advection seems to be the most plausible process. Today, lateral advection and offshore transport of nutrients and organic matter characterize the study region. However, the triggering mechanisms deserve further investigation. Different controlling factors influencing the mobilization and advection of organic carbon from coastal upwelling sites to the deep basin are discussed. The correlation found between down-core TOC and sea-level changes suggests sea-level fluctuations as the most effective mechanism driving nepheloid layer detachment and seaward material transport.     

The reflection of the present distribution of the primary production in the bottom sediments of the Sea of Okhotsk

Using the authors’ data obtained during expeditions to the Sea of Okhotsk during the last decade, the primary phytoplankton production and the distribution of organic carbon and chlorophyll a degradation products (chlorin) in the bottom sediments were studied. Using the authors’ and published data, the spatial distribution of the production and paleoproduction indicators was plotted. The ratios of the chlorin and C_org content in the sediments was considered, and the correlation between these parameters was revealed. It was shown that the average annual primary production of phytoplankton and the paleoproduction indices were maximum in the coastal and upwelling zones and decreased towards the sea’s center. A quantitative correlation was found between the distribution of the present primary production in the photic layer and that of the rates of the accumulation of organic matter buried within the surface sediments. As a result, it was shown that the content of chlorin and C_org in the marine bottom sediments may be used to reconstruct the paleoproduction variability of the past.