An Investigation of the Sediment-Water Interfacial Oxic/Anoxic Effects on Degradation and Preservation of Planktonic Lipids in Coastal Sediments--a Pilot Study

本研究比较了有氧和无氧沉积物中浮游植物脂质的分解速率。控制海洋沉积物中有机物保存的各种因素的重要性目前是有争议的，既有有机碳向海底的降雨速率，也有可变速率的竞争问题。本研究将专门确定在有氧和无氧沉积物中脂质分解的速率。使用14c标记的藻类和标记的单个脂类进行实验室孵育，目的是估计好氧和厌氧分解过程的降解率。然后将实验室实验得到的分解速率与沿海沉积物中脂质分布模型计算的速率进行比较。这些结果将有助于更好地理解氧化与缺氧环境在沉积物中有机物降解或保存中的重要性。

This Study compares rates of decomposition of phytoplanktonic lipids in oxic and anoxic sediments. The importance of various factors which control the preservation of organic matter in marine sediments is at present controversial, with both rain rate of organic carbon to the sea floor and variable rates of competing issues. This study will specifically determine the rates of lipid decomposition in oxic and anoxic sediments. Laboratory incubations using 14C-labelled algae and labelled individual lipids will be conducted with the objective of estimating degradation rates for aerobic and anaerobic decomposition processes. The decomposition rates obtained from the laboratory experiments will then be compared with rates calculated from modelling of lipid distributions in coastal sediments. The results will lead to a better understanding of the importance of oxic vs anoxic environments in the degradation or preservation of organic matter in sediments.