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Marine Biology Commons

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Biogeochemistry

William & Mary

Theses/Dissertations

2002

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology

Organic Matter Cycling In The York River Estuary, Virginia: An Analysis Of Potential Sources And Sinks, Leigh Mccallister Jan 2002

Organic Matter Cycling In The York River Estuary, Virginia: An Analysis Of Potential Sources And Sinks, Leigh Mccallister

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A study of the organic matter (OM) sources and biogeochemical and physicochemical sinks was undertaken in the York River estuary, Virginia. The reactivity of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was enhanced from ∼25--68% by the combined effects of exposure to natural sunlight and bacterial decomposition. In contrast, sunlight exposure decreased the bioreactivity of DOC in the higher salinity lower York by a factor of five. The combined effects of photochemical and bacterial processing were found to modify both the bioavailability and metabolic fate of OM (e.g. respiration vs. biomass). Stable isotopic (delta13C, delta15N) and radiocarbon (Delta14C) values of bacterial nucleic acids …


Fate Of Organic Compounds Associated With Extractable And Bound Phases Of Estuarine Sediments Deposited Under Varying Depositional Regimes, Krisa Murray Arzayus Jan 2002

Fate Of Organic Compounds Associated With Extractable And Bound Phases Of Estuarine Sediments Deposited Under Varying Depositional Regimes, Krisa Murray Arzayus

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Surficial sediments and sediment cores were collected from two distinct depositional regimes of the York River subestuary of Chesapeake Bay to document seasonal inputs, spatial variability, and longer-term (>40 years) fate of total organic carbon (TOC), lipid biomarker compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These regimes included biological mixing in the lower York and episodic mixing at the mid river site. Compounds were selected to represent a range of chemical reactivities, biological and anthropogenic sources, and modes of entry to the environment. The depositional environments were characterized with a suite of analytical tools: x-radiographs, Eh, 210Pb and 137Cs, total …