Biogeochemical Cycling in the Organic-Rich Coastal Environment

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ABSTRACTOCE-0002358 A three pronged approach is outlined by the PIs to document the input and ultimate fate of organic matter in Cape Lookout Bight, North Carolina. In step one, the PIs will collect suspended matter using plate traps and surficial sediments to quantify the sources of modern, bomb radiocarbon-enriched organic matter, assess whether delivery varies seasonally and determine what percentage of the modern carbon from each source survives degradation in sulfate reducing and methane producing zones and is buried. The second goal of this project entails understanding the factors that control the chemical composition and molecular size distribution in porewater DOC, as well as conduct a pulse-tracer experiment to directly observe the flow of carbon into and through this DOC pool. Lastly, the PIs will focus on fermentation and terminal metabolism by sulfate reducing and methanogenic bacteria to ascertain the processes that consume low molecular weight DOC.