Spatial and Temporal Patterns of δ13C and δ15N of Suspended Particulate Organic Matter in Maryland Coastal Bays, USA

The suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) in transitional waters such as the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) is derived from allochthonous and autochthonous sources. Little is known, however, about the contribution of terrestrially derived organic matter to SPOM in the MCBs. The sources of SPOM i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2020-08, Vol.12 (9), p.2345
Main Authors: Edje, Blessing O., Ishaque, Ali B., Chigbu, Paulinus
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Bays
Biomass
Carbon
Creeks & streams
Isotope ratios
Isotopes
Land use
Nitrogen
Organic matter
Particulate organic matter
Phytoplankton
Plankton
Ratios
River discharge
River flow
Rivers
Sewage
Stable isotopes
Stream flow
Terrestrial environments
Tributaries
Water circulation
Water inflow
Water quality
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Summary:The suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) in transitional waters such as the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) is derived from allochthonous and autochthonous sources. Little is known, however, about the contribution of terrestrially derived organic matter to SPOM in the MCBs. The sources of SPOM in the MCBs were evaluated using stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C), and C/N molar ratios. The values of SPOM δ15N, δ13C and C/N ratios from samples collected seasonally (July 2014 to October 2017) at 13 sites ranged from −0.58 to 10.51‰, −26.85 to −20.33‰, and 1.67 to 11.36, respectively, indicating a mixture of terrestrial SPOM transported by tributaries, marine organic matter from phytoplankton, and sewage. SPOM δ13C levels less than −24‰, suggesting the dominance of terrestrially derived carbon, occurred mainly at sites close to the mouths of tributaries, and were less depleted at sites near the ocean. The mean value of SPOM δ13C was higher in October 2014 (−22.76‰) than in October 2015 (−24.65‰) and 2016 (−24.57‰) likely due to differences in river discharge. Much lower values (
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w12092345