Marine organic matter transformation

Svetlicic, V., V. Zutic, and J. Tomaic (1990), "Estuarine Transformation of Organic Matter Single Coalescence Events of Estuarine Surface Active Particles", Marine Chemistry 32, 253-267. 

Cindy Lee is a Professor at the Marine Sciences Research Center of Stony Brook University. Dr. Lee s research examines the distribution and behavior of biogenic organic compounds, in particular the rates and mechanisms of transformation reactions occurring as these compounds undergo alteration. Her research investigates organic compounds in the sediments and waters of open ocean and coastal areas, salt marshes, lakes, as well as the atmosphere above these areas. Her expertise centers on the analytical techniques used to measure organic matter in the ocean. Dr. Lee is cur-... 

The fate of organic matter in the marine environment is largely related to its molecular structure, as this determines chemical reactivity. Compoimds characterized by high concentrations in seawater and the sediments typically have slow loss rates relative to their production. These compounds tend to exhibit low chemical reactivity in the marine environment and can persist in seawater fiar thousands of years. Conversely, compounds with low concentrations typically have high loss rates relative to their production. Their high reactivity is generally due to rapid biotic uptake and transformation, leading to turnover times that are on the order of minutes to days. Thus, to imderstand... 

A conceptual model Illustrating the pathways by which sedimenting POM is transformed into molecularly uncharacterizable organic matter. Source-. From Burdige, D. J. (2006). Geochemistry of Marine Sediments. Princeton University Press. 

Hydrocarbons are obtained primarily from coal and petroleum, both formed when plant and animal matter decays in the absence of oxygen. Most of the coal and petroleum that exist today were formed between 280 and 395 million years ago. At that time, Earth was covered with extensive swamps that, because they were close to sea level, periodically became submerged. The organic matter of the swamps was buried beneath layers of marine sediments and was eventually transformed to either coal or petroleum. 

Benner, R., and B. Biddanda. 1998. Photochemical transformations of surface and deep marine dissolved organic matter Effects on bacterial growth. Limnology and Oceanography 43 1373-1378. 

Koch, B. R, Witt, M., Engbrodt, R., Dittmar, T., and Kattner, G. (2005). Molecular formulae of marine and terrigenous dissolved organic matter detected by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 69, 3299-3308. 

Tremblay, L. B., Dittmar,T., Marshall, A. G., Cooper, W. J., and Cooper, W.T. (2007). Molecular characterization of dissolved organic matter in a North Brazilian mangrove porewater and mangrove-fringed estuaries by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and excitation/emission spectroscopy. Marine Chem. 105, 15-29. 

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