Evidence for the decoupling of dissolved, particulate and surface microlayer hydrocarbons in Northwestern Atlantic continental shelf waters

Detailed sampling of the water column and subsequent high-resolution gas chromatographic analyses of surface film, particulate and dissolved hydrocarbons from the Georges Bank region off the New England coast have revealed large spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the source of hydrocarbons. Dissolved hydrocarbons, largely of a petroleum-related origin, surface film hydrocarbon also of a petroleum-related origin but different from the dissolved fraction, and bulk-water particulate matter of a mixed biogenic and petrogenic origin are all decoupled with respect to source and quantity in the region.Surface film (microlayer) hydrocarbons are found in greater concentrations than the dissolved fraction, which in turn is greater than the particulate hydrocarbon quantities in the water column. Although the microlayer appears enriched in hydrocarbons relative to the bulk water, the nature of the hydrocarbons is quite different, indicating that the use of a microlayer enrichment factor may not be appropriate in these waters.