Relative molar mass distributions of chromophoric colloidal organic matter in coastal seawater determined by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation with UV absorbance and fluorescence detection

A new method for the characterization of chromophoric colloidal organic matter in seawater has been applied to samples from the Baltic Sea, Kattegatt and Skagerrak seas. Size fractionation of the sample by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation and measurement of the fluorescent and UV absorbing properties of the individual size fractions result in a relative molar mass distribution (RMM) of the optical properties. The RMM distributions have been used to estimate number and weight average relative molar masses, and polydispersity indices. At least two sources of coloured organic matter were identified from the ratio of fluorescence to UV: the Baltic surface water and the Skagerrak deep water. The dominating processes were mixing and dilution, but processes such as photo bleaching of fluorescence are also believed to be important. The RMM distribution derived from UV detection (1150–1300 Dalton) increased with increasing salinity while that derived for fluorescence (1500–1250 Dalton) decreased with increasing salinity. The specific UV absorbance taken as a proxy of the aromaticity of the chromophoric organic material showed decreasing trend with both increasing salinity and increasing UV derived weight average relative molar mass. Increasing polydispersity of the colloidal material was also observed as a function of salinity.     

Nitrogen forms and decomposition of organic carbon in the southern Bohai Sea core sediments

Study on form characteristics of nitrogen in marine sediments is the primary method to research its biogeochemical cycling and nitrogen form characteristics in core sediments can reflect the process and results of early diagenesis in a certain degree. In this paper, Sequential extraction process in natural grain size was used for studying the existent forms of nitrogen in five core sediments of the southern Bohai Sea for the first time. Nitrogen was divided into two parts -transferable and fixed based on whether it could be extracted by the reagent. Distributions and early diagenesis of transferable nitrogen forms in the southern Bohai Sea were researched integratedly. Results indicate that IEF - N and OSF-N are predominant forms in transferable part in the studied core sediments. Contents of different nitrogen forms vary differently with depth, and have different diagenesis process. Decomposition constant of organic nitrogen (ON) and OC are about 15.51 × 10~(-3)a~(-1)and 4.79× 10~(-3)a~(-1) respective     

Sources and distribution of organic matter in a river-dominated estuary (Winyah Bay, SC, USA)

The sources and distribution of organic matter (OM) in surface waters and sediments from Winyah Bay (South Carolina, USA) were investigated using a variety of analytical techniques, including elemental, stable isotope and organic biomarker analyses. Several locations along the estuary salinity gradient were sampled during four different periods of contrasting river discharge and tidal range. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of surface waters ranged from 7 mg l⁻¹ in the lower bay stations closest to the ocean to 20 mg l⁻¹ in the river and upper bay samples. There was a general linear relationship between DOC concentrations and salinity in three of the four sampling periods. In contrast, particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations were significantly lower (0.1–3 mg l⁻¹) and showed no relationship with salinity. The high molecular weight dissolved OM (HMW DOM) isolated from selected water samples collected along the bay displayed atomic carbon:nitrogen ratios ([C/N]a) and stable carbon isotopic compositions of organic carbon (δ¹³C_OC) that ranged from 10 to 30 and from −28 to −25‰, respectively. Combined, such compositions indicate that in most HMW DOM samples, the majority of the OM originates from terrigenous sources, with smaller contributions from riverine and estuarine phytoplankton. In contrast, the [C/N]a ratios of particulate OM (POM) samples varied significantly among the collection periods, ranging from low values of 5 to high values of >20. Overall, the trends in [C/N]a ratios indicated that algal sources of POM were most important during the early and late summer, whereas terrigenous sources dominated in the winter and early spring.In Winyah Bay bottom sediments, the concentrations of the mineral-associated OM were positively correlated with sediment surface area. The [C/N]a ratios and δ¹³C_OC compositions of the bulk sedimentary OM ranged from 5 to 45 and from −28 to −23‰, respectively. These compositions were consistent with predominant contributions of terrigenous sources and lesser (but significant) inputs of freshwater, estuarine and marine phytoplankton. The highest terrigenous contents were found in sediments from the river and upper bay sites, with smaller contributions to the lower parts of the estuary. The yields of lignin-derived CuO oxidation products from Winyah Bay sediments indicated that the terrigenous OM in these samples was composed of variable mixtures of relatively fresh vascular plant detritus and moderately altered soil OM. Based on the lignin phenol compositions, most of this material appeared to be derived from angiosperm and gymnosperm vascular plant sources similar to those found in the upland coastal forests in this region. A few samples displayed lignin compositions that suggested a more significant contribution from marsh C₃ grasses. However, there was no evidence of inputs of Spartina alterniflora (a C₄ grass) remains from the salt marshes that surround the lower sections of Winyah Bay.     

Deposition Rates of Terrestrial and Marine Organic Carbon in the Osaka Bay, Seto Inland Sea, Japan, Determined Using Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Ratios in the Sediment

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (¹³C and ¹⁵N) of surface sediments were measured within Osaka Bay, in the Seto Inland Sea in Japan, in order to better understand the sedimentation processes operating on both terrestrial and marine organic matter in the Bay. The ¹³C and ¹⁵N of surface sediments in the estuary of the Yodo River were less than –23 and 5 respectively, but increased in the area up to about 10 km from the river mouth. At greater distances they became constant (giving ¹³C of about –20 and ¹⁵N about 6). It can be concluded that large amounts of terrestrial organic matter exist near the mouth of the Yodo River. Stable isotope ratios in the estuary of the Yodo River within 10 km of the river mouth were useful indicators allowing study of the movement of terrestrial organic matter. Deposition rates for total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) over the whole of the Bay were estimated to be 63,100 ton C/year and 7,590 ton N/year, respectively. The deposition rate of terrestrial organic carbon was estimated to be 13,200 (range 2,000–21,500) ton C/year for the whole of Osaka Bay, and terrestrial organic carbon was estimated to be about 21% (range 3–34) of the TOC deposition rate. The ratio of the deposition rate of terrestrial organic carbon to the rate inflow of riverine TOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) were estimated to be 19% (range 3–31) and 76% (range 12–100), respectively.     

黄河利津水文站不同粒径悬浮颗粒物中有机碳含量的研究

估算不同粒径TSS中POC的入海日通量,对黄河利津水文站悬浮颗粒物(total suspended solid,TSS)样品,采用基于stokes原理的沉降法分为Ⅴ级,对分级后的样品测其有机碳(particulate organic carbon,POC)含量和粒度组成。在此基础上,用多元线性回归法对数据进一步处理,准确得到样品中不同粒径TSS中POC的含量。研究表明,黄河口淡水端水体TSS,<8μm的粘土和极细粉砂、8~16μm的细粉砂中,POC的含量为0.600%和0.400%左右;16~32μm的中粉砂中,POC的含量不足0.200%;而32~63μm的粗粉砂和>63μm砂中POC含量仅为0.050%和0.004%左右,80%以上的POC主要集中在<16μm的TSS中,而<32μm的TSS承载了95%以上的POC。     

Particulate peptidoglycan in seawater determined by the silkworm larvae plasma (SLP) assay

Peptidoglycan (PG) is a biopolymer found exclusively in the cell wall of bacteria. Recent chemical analysis of particulate organic matter suggests that a major amount of the muramic acid, an amino sugar present only in PG, could not be accounted for in terms of bacterial cells (Benner and Kaiser, 2003); however, data on particulate PG is quite sparse. In the present study, conducted in 1996, the PG was examined at 5 sampling sites in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, and in natural seawater cultures. Particulate PG, which was concentrated using a 96-well filtration plate equipped with Durapore filters (pore size, 0.22 μm), was measured by the silkworm larvae plasma (SLP) assay. The PG concentration generally decreased with depth and correlated significantly with bacterial abundance throughout the entire water column. However, the ratio of particulate PG to bacterial abundance varied with depth. The average ratio was 0.61 ± 0.53 (average ± SD, n = 40) between 50 and 2000 m, which agreed with the bacterial cellular PG content from 0.63 to 1.1 fg cell⁻¹ obtained in seawater cultures. On the other hand, the ratios of PG to bacteria from the surface to 50 m (3.7 ± 2.6, n = 29) and below 2,000 m (2.1 ± 1.7, n = 7) were significantly higher than that between 50 and 2,000 m. These results may suggest that, in the surface and deep layers, a significant fraction of particulate PG was present in bacterial detritus, whereas this fraction was reduced in the middle layer.     

Analysis of Dynamic Characteristics of Submarine Free Spanning Pipelines by Complex Damping Method

Considering the effect of the internal flowing fluid and the external marine environmental condition, the differential equation for the vortex-induced vibration (V1V) of the free spanning pipeline is derived and is discretized by the Hermit interpolation function. The free vibration equation with the damping term is solved by the complex damping method for the natural frequency, and then the effect of fluid damping on the natural frequency of the free spanning pipeline is analyzed.The results show that fluid damping has a significant influence on the damped natural frequency of the free spanning pipeline in the lock-in state, while it has little influence when the pipeline is out of the lock-in state. In the meantime,the change of the free span length has the same effect on the damped natural frequency and the undamped natural frequency.     

Artificial Upwelling of Deep Seawater Using the Perpetual Salt Fountain for Cultivation of Ocean Desert

Deep seawater in the ocean contains a great deal of nutrients. Stommel et al. have proposed the notion of a “perpetual salt fountain” (Stommel et al., 1956). They noted the possibility of a permanent upwelling of deep seawater with no additional external energy source. If we can cause deep seawater to upwell extensively, we can achieve an ocean farm. We have succeeded in measuring the upwelling velocity by an experiment in the Mariana Trench area using a special measurement system. A 0.3 m diameter, 280 m long soft pipe made of PVC sheet was used in the experiment. The measured data, a verification experiment, and numerical simulation results, gave an estimate of upwelling velocity of 212 m/day. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Seasonal DOC accumulation in the Black Sea: a regional explanation for a general mechanism

During three cruises in the Black Sea, organised in July 1995 and April–May 1997, biological and chemical parameters that can influence the carbon budget were measured in the water column on the NW shelf, particularly in the mixing zone with Danube River waters. We observed in early spring (end of April–May) conditions an important input of freshwater organisms that enhanced the microbial activity in the low salinity range. High bacterial activity regenerates nitrogen in the form of nitrates, but is also responsible for an important consumption of ammonium and phosphate, leading to a high N/P ratio and a strong deficit in phosphorus. The consequence is a limitation of phytoplankton development but also a production of carbohydrates that accumulate all along the salinity gradient. These mechanisms are responsible for a seasonal accumulation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) that increases from 210 μM in winter to about 280 μM in summer. All this excess DOC disappears during winter, probably degraded by bacterial activity. The degradation of carbon-rich organic matter increases the phosphorus demand by bacteria bringing limitation to phytoplankton primary production.