The fate of suspended sediment and particulate organic carbon in transit through the channels of a river catchment

Particulate organic matter (POM) transiting through rivers could be lost to overbank storage, stored in‐channel, added to by erosion or autochthonous production, or turned over to release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (either while in the water column or while stored in the channel). In the UK, a net loss of POM across catchments has been recorded, and the aim here was to investigate the balances of processes acting on the POM. This study considered records of suspended sediment and POM flux in comparison to stream flow, velocity, stream power, and residence time for the River Trent (English Midlands, 8,231 km²). We show that for the lower two thirds (106 km) of the River Trent, 2% is lost to overbank storage; 10% is lost to the atmosphere in the water column; and 31% is turned over while in temporary storage. Permanent in‐channel storage is negligible, and for the lower course of the river, material stored in‐channel will have a residence time of the order of hundreds of days between the last flood hydrograph of one winter and the first winter storm of the next winter (usually in the same calendar year). When considered at the scale of the UK, 1% POM in transit would be lost to overbank sedimentation; 5% turned over in the water column, and 14% turned over while in temporary storage. In the upper third of the study river channel, there is insufficient stream power to transport sediment and so in‐channel storage or in‐channel turnover over to the atmosphere dominate. The in‐channel processes of the River Trent do not conform to that expected for river channels as the headwaters are not eroding or transporting sediment. Therefore, the source of sediment must be lower down the channel network.     

Elemental and isotopic signatures of particulate organic carbon in the Zengjiang River,southern China

Riverine total suspended sediment (TSS) at the lower reach section of the Zengjiang River, a low‐turbidity river in the southern China, was sampled on a 4‐week basis from March 2002 to February 2003. The gross TSS was divided into sedimentary and suspended fractions (SED and SUS) by the sedimentation method. Organic carbon and nitrogen, ¹⁴C and ¹³C were analysed using an elemental analyser and accelerator mass spectrometer respectively. The results show that particulate organic carbon (POC) yield is 0·8 × 10⁶ g km^?2 year^?1 in the Zengjiang River drainage basin, which is about one‐tenth of that in the Zhujiang (Pearl) River drainage basin. The C/N ratio demonstrates that aquatic biomass is the major contributor to POC in the Zengjiang River. The average share of aquatic biomass in the SUS‐fraction POC and SED‐fraction POC is about 88·89% and 62·76% respectively, with a substantial seasonal variation. δ¹³C values of SUS‐fraction POC (?26·56 to ? 22·89‰) is slightly lighter than that of SED‐fraction POC (?25·05 to ? 22·20‰), indicating that the contribution of aquatic biomass to δ¹³C values is more pronounced in the SUS‐fraction POC than in the SED‐fraction POC. The ‘bomb’–¹⁴C signature is not detected in the POC of Zengjiang River, and the contribution from geological organic carbon is very little. Δ¹⁴C values of the SED‐fraction POC vary from ? 44 to ? 223‰, and the Δ¹⁴C values of the SUS‐fraction POC vary from ? 33 to ? 165‰. For most paired samples, the SED‐fraction POC is generally more depleted in ¹⁴C than that of its counterpart SUS‐fraction POC. Compared with other small mountainous rivers, the ¹⁴C enrichment of POC in the Zengjiang River indicates slight drainage basin erosion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The fluvial flux of particulate organic matter from the UK: the emission factor of soil erosion

Soil erosion has been identified as a potential global carbon sink since eroded organic matter is replaced at source and eroded material is readily buried. However, this argument has relied on poor estimates of the total fate of in‐transit particulates and could erroneously imply soil erosion could be encouraged to generate carbon stores. These previous estimates have not considered that organic matter can also be released to the atmosphere as a range of greenhouse gases, not only carbon dioxide (CO₂), but also the more powerful greenhouse gases methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). As soil carbon lost by erosion is only replaced by uptake of CO₂, this could represent a considerable imbalance in greenhouse gas warming potential, even if it is not significant in terms of overall carbon flux. This work therefore considers the flux of particulate organic matter through UK rivers with respect to both carbon fluxes and greenhouse gas emissions. The results show that, although emissions to the atmosphere are dominated by CO₂, there are also considerable fluxes of CH₄ and N₂O. The results suggest that soil erosion is a net source of greenhouse gases with median emission factors of 5.5, 4.4 and 0.3 tonnes CO_2eq/yr for one tonne of fluvial carbon, gross carbon erosion and gross soil erosion, respectively. This study concludes that gross soil erosion would therefore only be a net sink of both carbon and greenhouse gases if all the following criteria are met: the gross soil erosion rate were very low (<91 tonnes/km²/yr); the eroded carbon were completely replaced by new soil organic matter; and if less than half of the gross erosion made it into the stream network. By establishing the emission factor for soil erosion, it becomes possible to properly account for the benefits of good soil management in minimizing losses of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as a by‐product of soil erosion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photodegradation of autochthonous and allochthonous dissolved organic matter in a natural tropical lake

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is one of the most abundant fractions of organic matter in aquatic systems and plays an important role in the dynamics of aquatic environments, controlling both the penetration and the underwater light radiation climate. DOC can be photodegraded by light, thus facilitating biodegradation, especially in regions where the incidence of solar radiation is high, such as higher altitudes and lower latitudes. This study quantified the photodegradation of dissolved organic material in a natural tropical lake surrounded by native forests (Brazilian Atlantic Forest) through two experiments: i) the first experiment exposed concentrated autochthonous, allochthonous, and lake water to in situ solar radiation; ii) this experiment also exposed the same organic material to artificial UV radiation in an incubator under controlled conditions. The quality and quantity of dissolved organic carbon were measured using indices based on carbon absorbance and fluorescence spectrum. In the in situ experiment, it was observed that the DOC degradation profile of the concentrated allochthonous and autochthonous organic material were distinct from each other in the absorbance indices, and the lake water mostly resembled the latter one. On the other hand, we did not see evidence of any significant difference among treatments in the laboratory experiment. An increase in the SR index and a concomitant decrease in the fluorescence of humic compounds and SUVA₂₅₄ over time were observed. In both experiments, the amount of degraded organic material over time was low and some possible explanations are discussed.     

Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) transport and processing in littoral interstices – use of fluorescent markers

A fluorescent labelling method is presented as a new tool for the investigation of organic particle transport and biogenic carbon cycling processes in sandy littoral interstices at Lake Tegel, Berlin, Germany. Passive particle transport through the pore system was studied by in situ exposition of 2.4 μm monodisperse polymeric resin microparticles stained with 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC). Uptake of fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled Chlorella vulgaris and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) by the interstitial fauna was investigated in laboratory and field experiments. The major portion (>85%) of the FITC-labelled particles added to sediment cores was recovered from the topmost centimetre of sediment during the study period of 14 days. Uptake of FITC-labelled FPOM was observed in several benthic groups, e.g. chironomids, microcrustaceans, oligochaetes and tardigrads, whereas C. vulgaris was ingested by oligochaetes only. There is evidence to suggest that both are suitable materials for investigating the fragmentation and ingestion of organic material by herbivorous and detritivorous fauna. Field experiments with inert microparticles and FITC-labelled FPOM (<1 mm) prepared from dried alder leaves were carried out in plexiglass tubes as in situ whole core technique. Within the investigation period of two weeks, the transport of FPOM was restricted to the topmost 2–3 cm of sediment in conjunction with a distinct fragmentation to finer size classes with respect to increasing sediment depth. Vertical FPOM transport was hindered by a high interstitial concentration of natural POM and an intensive settlement of the interstices by algae (mainly epispammic algae, 65–96% of algae cell number) and extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS), which formed a dense three-dimensional structure.     

Towards understanding organic matter fluxes and reactivity in surface waters: Filtering impact on DOC and POC degradation

Peatlands cover a very small area of the Earth, but store globally significant quantities of carbon and export disproportionate quantities of fluvial organic carbon, especially when the peatlands are degraded or disturbed. Peatland headwater catchments with high concentrations of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) provide an opportunity to investigate the possibility of competing effects that could lead to enhanced or diminished turnover of DOC in the presence of POC. Both POC and DOC can be degraded by light and microbes, producing smaller molecules and releasing CO₂ and CH₄ to the atmosphere, and POC can inhibit light penetration, stabilize DOC by providing adsorption sites and providing surfaces for microbes to interact with DOC. However, the majority of peatland fluvial carbon studies are conducted using filtered water samples, and measure only the DOC concentration, so the impact of the particulate organic matter (POM) on in-stream processing of organic carbon is relatively unknown. It is therefore possible that studies have underestimated carbon transformations in rivers as they have not considered the interaction of the particulate material on the dissolved concentrations; there could be higher losses than previously estimated, increasing the contribution of peatland headwaters to GHG emissions. In this study, we assessed if the current approach of DOC degradation studies accurately represent the impact of POM on DOC degradation, by quantifying DOC production from POM, and therefore POC, over time in water with manipulated POM concentrations. Both filtered and unfiltered water lost 60% of the DOC over 70 hours, whereas the treatment with additional POM lost only 35%. The results showed that filtering does not significantly impact the DOC degradation rates; however, when the POC concentration was doubled, there was a significant reduction in DOC degradation, suggesting that filtering would still be necessary to get accurate rates of DOC transformations in waters with high POC concentrations.     

On the use of UV spectrophotometry to assess dissolved organic carbon origin variations in the Upper Rhône River

To detect temporal changes and the origin of the refractory dissolved organic matter in the Upper Rhône River, UV light absorbance (A) at 285 nm and quantitative dissolved organic carbon (DOC) measurements were carried out. Data from 63 visits to the main channel over a period of two years and from visits to different waterbodies in the alluvial plain before and after a flood are presented. There was a good correlation between A (0.019–0.160) and the DOC content (1.40–9.81 mg/L) for the waterbodies, but not for the river axis with lower A (0.013–0.044) and DOC content (1.13–2.20 mg/L). Due to this good correlation, the DOC content could be quantified for the waterbodies by absorbance measurements only. For the river water this indirect determination of the DOC content was not possible. However, the A/DOC ratio showed changes in the composition of DOC of river water and provided indications about the origin of the dissolved organic matter in the Upper Rhône River.     

Impact of natural (storm) and anthropogenic (trawling) sediment resuspension on particulate organic matter in coastal environments

In order to assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic sediment resuspension on quantity, biochemical composition and bioavailability of particulate organic matter (POM), two field investigations were carried out in two shallow coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. In the Gulf of Lions, we investigated the impact of a storm resuspension of sediment, whereas in the Thermaikos Gulf we investigated the impact of bottom trawling.Resuspension in the Gulf of Lions determined the increase of sedimentation rates, modified the composition of the organic fraction of settling particles and decreased the labile fraction of POM, as indicated by a drop in the enzymatically hydrolysable amino acid fraction. The increase in the refractory fraction, following short-term storm-induced resuspension, increased also the contribution of glycine and decreased the contribution of aspartic acid contents to the total amino acid pools.Trawling activities in Thermaikos Gulf determined a significant increase in suspended POM concentrations and important changes in its biochemical composition. After trawling, the protein to carbohydrate ratio decreased (as a result of a major input of sedimentary carbohydrates at the water–sediment interface) and the fraction of enzymatically hydrolysable biopolymeric C decreased by ≈30%, thus reducing the bioavailability of resuspended organic particles. Results of the present study indicate that changes in suspended POM, induced by storms and trawling activities, can have similar consequences on benthic systems and on food webs. In fact, the potential benefit of increased organic particle concentration for suspension feeders, is depressed by the shift of suspended food particles towards a more refractory composition.     

Determination of dissolved organic matter in streamwater using visible spectrophotometry

Absorbance at 360 nm was measured on 44 filtered streamwater samples of different dissolved organic matter (DOM) contents. A regression equation of DOM on absorbance predicted DOM with a standard error of estimate of 1.26 mgl^?1, Use of a published equation relating dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to absorbance gave DOC values for the samples which were consistent with measured DOM. The method offers considerable potential for rapid quantification of dissolved organic matter concentrations in streamwater.     

Distribution and composition of organic matter in surface sediments of coastal Southeast Alaska

Total organic carbon (TOC) and biogenic silica (opal) content, elemental (C/N) and isotopic (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) composition of organic matter and the content of lipid biomarkers derived from both marine and terrestrial sources constrain relative contributions from marine productivity and continental erosion to surface sediments throughout coastal SE Alaska (54°N to 61°N). TOC and opal content are very high (up to 8% and 33% by weight, respectively) in fjords and inlets south of Icy Strait (∼58°N) and uniformly low at offshore sites to the south, and at both offshore and inland sites to the north (averaging 0.6±0.3% and 2.3±1.8%, respectively). TOC and opal mass accumulation rates (MARs, based on bulk density and ²¹⁰Pb-derived sediment MAR) suggest dilution with terrigenous, inorganic detrital materials accounts for the low concentrations of both biogenic phases in sediments from the glacial tidewater fjords of Muir and Yakutat Bays but not elsewhere. C/N, δ¹³C, and δ¹⁵N indicate a dominant marine origin for organic matter deposited at most sites. This conclusion implicates elevated primary productivity in inland waters to the south with diatoms, based on opal results, being the dominant contributor. A very significant terrestrial organic fraction (25–50%) is contained in sediments deposited on the continental shelf to the north of 58°N. Hydrocarbon biomarkers indicate the terrestrial fraction in sediments from this region is represented by old organic matter (kerogen) likely contained within riverborne particles eroding from now heavily glaciated adjacent landscapes. In sediment to the south, the terrestrial fraction is traced to modern soil organic matter eroded from the now non-glaciated, heavily forested adjacent landscape. Our study provides a framework to guide future investigations of short- (anthropogenic) to long- (Holocene) term environmental and/or climate change in this region through down-core, stratigraphic analysis.     

Fluvial transport of coarse particulate organic matter in a coastal mountain stream of a rainy-temperate evergreen broadleaf forest in southern Chile

Coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM, i.e. particles such as leaves, wood fragments, twigs, branches, flowers, seeds and fruits) in aquatic systems influences the flow, provides an important food source, and at the catchment scale, may significantly contribute to total carbon export. CPOM exports have rarely been quantified in subtropical, broadleaf forest streams. We captured CPOM in Bunte traps in the rainfall-dominated Vuelta de Zorra stream in southern Chile to (a) propose a novel classification to characterize the different CPOM components, (b) analyze the frequency of each matter class (i.e. leaves, wood fragments, and ‘others’) and its seasonal variability, (c) quantify the CPOM transported, (d) derive a model to quantify CPOM transport rates, and (e) compare the transported CPOM data with those from a unique long-term (> seven years) large wood monitoring dataset. Results showed that leaves were significantly more abundant than other types of CPOM in all seasons. The dry CPOM transport rate ranged over three orders of magnitude, and there was a significant relationship with mean discharge. Mean dry CPOM yield for the study period 2015–2017 was 4.6 kg/ha/yr when normalizing to the total forested catchment area. The 2009–2018 decadal average yield was 6.8 kg/ha/yr when normalizing to the total forested catchment area. These values are similar to measurements from deciduous and coniferous forests in streams in the United States and the Brazilian Mato Grosso and ~1/10 of the yields obtained in a Swiss torrent. Over a three-year period, the CPOM exports in Vuelta de Zorra ranged between 13 and 36% of the exported large wood (particles with diameters ≥ 100 mm and length ≥ 1 m) exports. Our data collected from an underrepresented area improve the understanding of global carbon budgets and cycling. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

云南高原湖泊有色可溶性有机物和颗粒物光谱吸收特性

云南高原湖泊是我国湖泊分布最密集的五大湖群之一,不但湖泊数量众多而且类型多样.由于湖泊所处位置海拔较高,容易受只益增强UV-B辐射影响.通过对云南高原34个湖泊有色可溶性有机物和颗粒物吸收测定,分析其光谱吸收特性及对总吸收的贡献,有利于深刻理解紫外辐射在高原湖泊内衰减.不同湖泊间CDOM吸收差异明显,其大小与水体营养盐状况相关,CDOM吸收系数与水体总氮存在显著正相关.增加背景项的指数函数模型能最好模拟CDOM光谱吸收.除在浮游植物浓度非常高的杞麓湖、听湖、星云湖,颗粒物吸收系数在675nm附近存在一个吸收蜂外,其它湖泊总颗粒物光谱吸收大致随波长的增加吸收系数逐渐降低,呈现非色素颗粒物光谱吸收特征,整体上颗粒物吸收以非色素颗粒物为主.CDOM对总吸收的贡献主要集中在600nm以下波长,尤其是400nm以下的紫外波段,其在紫外波段(350-400nm)的贡献明显要大于光合有效辐射波段(400-700nm)(ANOVA,P<0.001).特别对于透明度SD≥1.0的清澈型湖泊,CDOM吸收对紫外辐射衰减的贡献更大,其吸收很大程度上决定了紫外辐射的影响深度.     

Sources of particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the St Lawrence River: isotopic approach

We investigate sources of both dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the St Lawrence River from its source (the Great Lakes outlet) to its estuary, as well as in two of its tributaries. Special attention is given to seasonal interannual patterns by using data collected on a bi‐monthly basis from mid‐1998 to mid‐2003. δ¹³C measurements in dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC), as well as molar C : N in particulate organic matter (POM), are used to bring insight into the dynamic between aquatic versus terrigenous sources. In addition, ¹⁴C activities of DOC were measured at the outlet of the St Lawrence River to its estuary to assess a mean age of the DOC exported to the estuary. In the St Lawrence River itself, aquatically produced POC dominates terrestrially derived POC and is depleted in ¹³C by approximately 12‰ versus dissolved CO₂. In the Ottawa River, the St Lawrence River's most important tributary, the present dataset did not allow for convincing deciphering of POC sources. In a small tributary of the St Lawrence River, aquatically produced POC dominates in summer and terrestrially derived POC dominates in winter. DOC seems to be dominated by terrestrially derived organic matter at all sampling sites, with some influence of DOC derived from aquatically produced POC in summer in the St Lawrence River at the outlet of the Great Lakes and in one of its small tributaries. The overall bulk DOC is relatively recent (¹⁴C generally exceeding 100% modern carbon) in the St Lawrence River at its outlet to the estuary, suggesting that it derives mainly from recent organic matter from topsoils in the watershed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

过去5000 a以来抚仙湖沉积物有机质碳同位素的古环境指示意义

通过测定抚仙湖沉积物全有机样品的稳定碳同位素组成(δ~(13)C_(org))、总氮、总有机碳含量指标并计算碳氮比值,对过去5000 a以来抚仙湖沉积物有机质来源、δ~(13)C_(org)的影响因素及其所指示的古环境意义进行分析.结果表明:在过去的5000 cal a BP里,抚仙湖沉积物有机质主要来源发生明显变化,沉积物有机质输入由内源水生生物和陆生C_3植物共同输入(5000-2300 cal a BP阶段)转变为以内源沉水植物、浮游植物和藻类等输入为主(2000 cal a BP至今阶段);有机质来源发生变化是造成抚仙湖沉积物δ~(13)C_(org)值变化的主要原因;2000 cal a BP以来,陆源有机质输入的锐减与人类活动的影响密切相关;在2300-2000 cal a BP阶段,抚仙湖沉积物δ~(13)C_(org)值的快速变化可能指示了抚仙湖流域的古环境在这一时期经历了快速变化的气候事件.     

Spatial and temporal variation in particle size and particulate organic matter content in suspended particulate matter from peatland‐dominated catchments in Finland

Properties of suspended particulate matter play a vital role in transport processes, but information from boreal lowland river systems with high organic loads is limited. This study analysed data from 2 years of sampling at 30 locations in Finland (204 samples in total) using suspended particulate matter samplers to determine effective and absolute particle size and organic fractions. Mean d₅₀ value was 22 and 49 µm for absolute and effective particle size, respectively. The organic fraction content ranged from 2.1% to 36% (mean 9.6%), highlighting the importance of particle organic matter for suspended particulate matter flux in the region. The results indicated that the suspended particulate matter particle size distribution and load in the study region is dominated by composite particles. There were considerable spatial and temporal variations in transport of organic fractions, effective particle size and degree of aggregation (range 1.5–93%). Headwaters and, in particular, late summer and spring flood conditions with flow peaks produced the largest composite particles, whereas agriculture‐dominated sites produced smaller but more tightly compacted particles. Organic plant fibres appeared to play a vital role in floc formation in peat‐covered catchments, whereas in agriculture‐dominated catchments, land use‐derived aggregates dominated the composition. This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of effective particle size measurement in understanding the dynamics of suspended particulate matters in boreal lowland river systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新疆博斯腾湖水体颗粒和溶解有机碳的季节变化及其来源初探

在博斯腾湖选取了13个点位,于2012年5、8、10月测定表层和底层水体中的颗粒有机碳、溶解有机碳、颗粒有机氮和叶绿素a含量.结果显示颗粒和溶解有机碳在表层水体中的浓度与底层相近.博斯腾湖水体中颗粒有机碳的季节变化十分明显,其平均浓度从春季(0.64 mg/L)到夏季(0.71 mg/L)变化不大,但在秋季变化十分显著(浓度达1.58 mg/L).其中西北湖区和湖心区颗粒有机碳的季节变化最明显,东部湖区颗粒有机碳的季节变化相对较小.博斯腾湖水体的颗粒有机碳在春、秋两季主要来自外源输入,在夏季受水体中浮游生物的影响较大.博斯腾湖水体中溶解有机碳也具有一定的季节变化,夏季浓度(平均为9.3 mg/L)略低于春、秋两季(平均为10.3 mg/L).溶解有机碳在河口区的季节变化最强,其夏季浓度明显偏低,主要是由于开都河河水的稀释作用.总体上,博斯腾湖水体中溶解有机碳浓度的变化主要受外部因素的影响.     

富营养化湖泊沉积物有机质矿化过程中碳、氮、磷的迁移特征

采用室内培养的方法,以富营养化湖泊太湖为例,研究了沉积物有机质矿化过程中碳、氮、磷的迁移特征.结果表明,在沉积物中的有机质矿化过程中,碳以溶解性无机碳释放至水中,同时以CH4和CO2形式释放至大气中,培养结束时,CH4和CO2累积排放含量分别为1492.21和498.96 mg/g(dw),其中CH4占气态碳的89.16%(以C质量计);此外,大量的氮、磷营养盐释放至上覆水体,水中总氮、总磷和铵态氮的最高浓度分别是初始浓度的62.16、28.16和139.45倍,而硝态氮浓度在整个培养过程中逐渐下降,培养末期浓度是初期的0.21倍;厌氧条件下,沉积物有机质的矿化,不仅可以生成大量的CH4、CO2气体,还能够促使沉积物中铵态氮和磷的释放;而沉积物有机质矿化释放的碳、氮、磷营养元素又能加剧湖泊富营养化程度,促进湖泊水体的初级生产力,从而增加湖泊沉积物有机质输入.这样的循环方式可能是湖泊富营养化自维持的重要机制之一.     

Comparison of C and N stable isotope ratios between surface particulate organic matter and microphytoplankton in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean)

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of particulate organic matter (POM) in surface water and 63–200 μm-sized microphytoplankton collected at the fluorescence maximum were studied in four sites in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean), a marine area influenced by the Rhone River inputs, in May and November 2004. Some environmental (temperature, salinity) and biological (POM, Chlorophyll a and phaeopigments contents, phytoplankton biomass and composition) parameters were also analysed. Significantly different C and N isotopic signatures between surface water POM and microphytoplankton were recorded in all sites and seasons. Surface water POM presented systematically lower δ¹³C (∼4.2‰) and higher δ¹⁵N (∼2.8‰) values than those of microphytoplankton, due to a higher content of continental and detrital material. Seasonal variations were observed for all environmental and biological parameters, except salinity. Water temperature was lower in May than in November, the fluorescence maximum was located deeper and the Chlorophyll a content and the phytoplankton biomass were higher, along with low PON/Chl a ratio, corresponding to spring bloom conditions. At all sites and seasons, diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community in abundance, whereas dinoflagellate importance increased in autumn particularly in coastal sites. C and N isotopic signatures of phytoplankton did not vary with season. However, the δ¹⁵N of surface water POM was significantly higher in November than in May in all sites likely in relation to an increase in ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio of the Rhone River POM which influenced surface water in the Gulf of Lions. As it is important to determine true baseline values of primary producers for analysing marine food webs, this study demonstrated that C and N isotopic values of surface water POM cannot be used as phytoplankton proxy in coastal areas submitted to high river inputs.     

Fluxes and seasonal changes in composition of organic matter in the English Channel

Dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM) have been investigated along a transect between Cherbourg and the Isle of Wight. In addition, the relative contribution of different sources of POM have been assessed by the use of lipid biomarkers (e.g. fatty acids). Seawater samples were collected at two depths (subsurface and above the bottom) at five stations located on the transect during five cruises (from September 1994 to July 1995). Particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations vary between 30–530 μg l⁻¹ and 0.5–2.7 mg l⁻¹, respectively, for all the cruises. Fluxes of POM and DOM have been estimated at 0.6×10¹² g yr⁻¹ and 6.5×10¹² g yr⁻¹ of carbon, respectively. General fluxes of water and therefore of DOC and POC are oriented eastward. However, around the Isle of Wight a westward oriented flux exists due to a gyre located in the area. The major DOC and POC fluxes occur in the central part of the Channel where the water column is deepest. Seasonal variations of different sources of POM (algal, bacterial and terrigenous) have been examined for the five cruises. The fresh algal organic fraction is relatively important in September in coastal waters with a predominance of diatom species on the English side, whereas it has a low or undetectable contribution during winter months. The bacterial fraction generally varies in concert with the algal component. It is low during the winter period and more important in bloom or post-bloom conditions, as for example in May. Terrestrial organic matter is restricted to coastal areas in September, and is present at low levels in May and July. Nevertheless, in November and February, terrigenous inputs have been clearly identified for the whole transect even in central waters.