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Sources Of Carbon To Suspended Particulate Organic Matter In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Kelsey L. Rogers, Samantha H Bosman, Sarah Weber, Cedric Magen, Joseph P. Montoya, Jeffrey Chanton

C-IMAGE Publications

Suspended particulate organic carbon (POC_susp) in the Gulf of Mexico is unique compared to other seas and oceans. In addition to surface primary production, isotopic analysis indicates that microbial cycling of oil and riverine inputs are primary sources of carbon to POC_susp in the Gulf. To characterize POC_susp from seep sites and non-seep north central Gulf (NCG) sites potentially affected by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill, we analyzed 277 and 123 samples for δ¹³C and Δ¹⁴C signatures, respectively. Depth, partitioned into euphotic ( < 300 m) and deep ( > 300 m), was the main driver of spatial δ …