Distribution and biological turnover of dissolved organic compounds in the water column of the Black Sea

Abstract

Water column concentrations and turnover rates were determined for a suite of low molecular weight organic compounds in the Black Sea. The classes of compounds studied included amino acids, simple sugars, α-keto acids, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, flavins and thiols. Our study yielded some new insights, as well as a few surprising discoveries, regarding the composition and cycling of organic matter in the Black Sea. (1) Uptake rates of organic compounds were from 2 to 4640 times faster in oxic surface waters than in anoxic waters. (2) Sharp maxima or minima in concentrations of organic compounds coincided with zones of enhanced microbial activities, especially in the vicinity of the oxic-suboxic and suboxic-anoxic interfaces. (3) The benthic boundary layer, 300–400 m thick, had a markedly different organic composition and substantially higher concentrations of organic acids, and to a lesser extent sugars and thiols, than the overlying water. (4) A dramatic change in the composition and concentration of dissolved free amino acids occurred in the water column during the cruise and appeared to be related to biological patchiness. (5) Organic thiols constituted a significant portion (e.g. 10–20%) of the total reduced sulfur near the top of the sulfidic zone, and may contribute to the origin of hydrogen sulfide in this zone. (6) Major unknown amine and carbonyl compounds were discovered in the anoxic zone, providing evidence that the Black Sea contains unique anaerobic bacteria with possibly new biochemical pathways.