Abstract
Experiments were made on decomposition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in coastal seawater (Sagami Bay and Tokyo Bay, Japan). Decomposition of DOM seems to proceed in two steps: a rapid decrease in DOM during the first several days, followed by a slow decrease after this time. The apparent rate constant for decomposition of the total DOM was calculated as 0.01 to 0.09 day-1 for the first step and 0.001 to 0.009 day-1 for the second step, assuming that such decomposition proceeds as a first-order reaction. A part of such utilizable fractions of DOM may be derived from excretion and decomposition products of phytoplankton, especially “red-tide” organisms occurring in summer. Molecular weight distribution of DOM changed with advancing decomposition. The low-molecular-weight DOM (mainly less than 500) in the surface water of Tokyo Bay was 0.67 mgC/l (24% of the total DOM) at the initiation of incubation; this decreased to 0.36 mgC/l (16% of the total DOM) after 2 days incubation at 20°C in the dark. Low-molecular-weight DOM was thought to be firstly utilized by micro-organisms. After 6 to 10 months incubation, the proportion of low-molecular-weight DOM decreased and that of high-molecular-weight DOM increased.
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Communicated by M. Anraku, Nagasaki
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Ogura, N. Further studies on decomposition of dissolved organic matter in coastal seawater. Mar. Biol. 31, 101–111 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391622
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391622