0000000000494913
AUTHOR
M. Fabiano
Relationships between suspended and sediment organic matter in a semi- enclosed marine system: The Stagnone di Marsala sound (Western Sicily)
To gather information on the interactions between the sediment and suspended organic matter pools in the Stagnone di Marsala, water and sediment samples were collected, on a monthly basis, at 11 stations. Water temperature and salinity showed a clear seasonality whilst particulate and sediment organic matter did not show any clear seasonal pattern. Relative abundances of suspended and sediment organic matter, on the other hand, appeared to be site-dependent and controlled mainly by the dynamic balance between resuspension and sedimentation. High quantities of both suspended and sediment total organic matter were present, while very low algal biomasses (in terms of chlorophyll-a concentratio…
Seasonal and spatial changes in the sediment organic matter of a semi-enclosed marine system (W-Mediterranean Sea)
The composition of sediment organic matter and the related role of microphytobenthic biomass have been investigated during one-year in a semi-enclosed marine system (Marsala lagoon, Mediterranean Sea). Monthly samples from June 1993 to May 1994 were analysed for carbohydrate, protein, lipid, photosynthetic pigment and total organic matter. The three main biochemical classes of organic compounds (i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) showed higher concentrations than reported in the literature. However, photosynthetic pigment was quite low, compared to other enclosed marine basins or Mediterranean coastal lagoons. As a result, the contribution of primary organic carbon to the sedimentary …