Distribution,fluxes and bacterial consumption of total organic carbon in a populated Mediterranean Gulf

Saronikos Gulf (Greece) practically constitutes the sea border of the metropolitan city of Athens and the alongshore outskirts, and it receives the treated wastes of ∼4 million people from a point source that discharges on the sea bottom at ∼65 m water depth. Total organic carbon (TOC) was measured in 477 seawater samples collected in the Saronikos Gulf, during 10 cruises, from August 2001 to May 2004 and analyzed with the High Temperature Catalytic Oxidation method (HTCO). TOC concentrations ranged from 49 to 198 μmol C L⁻¹ in agreement with other Mediterranean coastal waters. The highest TOC concentrations were found in the upper waters (0–75 m), whereas in the deeper parts of the Gulf (between 100 and 400 m) TOC concentrations were kept constantly low (49–70 μmol C L⁻¹). A general pattern towards higher TOC concentrations during summer was also observed. Calculations of non-refractory (labile+semi-labile) organic material based on a one-dimensional (1D) conceptual model showed that it corresponds to 33% of the bulk TOC during summer and to 27% during winter. Bacterial production (BP) was measured at selected stations of ∼70–80 m depth using the ³H] leucine method. Depth integrated BP values varied from 2.8 to 10.9 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹, whereas extraordinary high integrated BP values (126 and 140 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) were observed at the station over the treated sewage outflow. From the turnover time, τ, of the non-refractory TOC by bacteria it was implied that organic matter in the effluents is extremely labile (2–58 days). Moreover, τ values at the other sites showed that during summer non-refractory organic material resisted bacterial degradation (1–8 months), whereas during early spring it was easily degradable (20–50 days). The balance of TOC fluxes for the Inner Gulf for June and September 2003 showed that the Inner Gulf acts as a net producer of TOC during summer. Our results suggest that the presence of the Athens treated sewage outfall does not contribute to the observed summer accumulation of TOC in the Inner Gulf and other causes such as increased bacteria predation and/or nutrient limitation must be responsible.