Photomineralization of organic carbon in a eutrophic, semiarid estuary Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • AbstractThe effect of photomineralization on the carbon cycle in a eutrophic, semiarid estuary (Baffin Bay, Texas) was investigated using closedsystem incubations. Photochemical production rate of dissolved inorganic carbon ranged from 0.16 to 0.68Mhr1, with a daily removal of 0.31.5% of the standing stock of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The photomineralization rate was negatively correlated with chlorophyll a concentration, suggesting that planktonderived DOC was less photoreactive to solar radiation. The stable carbon isotope composition (13C18.6) of degraded DOC, as calculated using the DIC Keeling plot, further indicated high photochemical lability of 13Cenriched DOC in this semiarid environment. Our finding showed that photomineralization of 13Cenriched DOC is an important component of carbon cycle in this system, and this process does not necessarily remove 13Cdepleted organic carbon as observed in other coastal systems.

published proceedings

  • LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS

altmetric score

  • 2

author list (cited authors)

  • Wang, H., Hu, X., Wetz, M. S., Hayes, K. C., & Lu, K.

citation count

  • 3

complete list of authors

  • Wang, Hongjie||Hu, Xinping||Wetz, Michael S||Hayes, Kenneth C||Lu, Kaijun

publication date

  • June 2020

publisher