Program of mineralization and cycling in marine systems: Organic geochemistry of particulates and sediments (CaBS): Technical progress report, November 15, 1988--May 14, 1989

The principal objective of the current on-going project is to understand the processes involved in the cycling of organic carbon in the southern California Bight. This involves the evaluation of the relative flux of planktonic carbon to the seafloor versus the import of terrestrial carbon components and the determination of the rate of decomposition of sedimenting organic matter in the water column. These goals were achieved by the chemical characterization of sedimenting particles (from traps) as well as in the near surface sediments. The organic matter in the marine regime comprises contribution from land plants, marine productivity (plankton and bacteria) as well as anthropogenic sources. At UCLA, we have been focusing on the chemical characterization of selected classes of organic carbon compounds derived from these various sources to understand the vertical flux and the chemical composition of the particulate organic matter which are controlled by complex transport, transformation, degradation and remineralization processes.