Factors influencing fatty acid and hydrocarbon composition of sedimenting particles in the northeastern Adriatic Sea

Abstract

Fatty acids and hydrocarbons of sedimenting particles were investigated in the northeastern Adriatic Sea from November 1988 to December 1989. Particles were collected at approximately monthly intervals, using sediment traps deployed at 30 m depth (2 m above bottom). Seasonal changes in sedimentation of particulate matter were very pronounced. Hydrocarbon fluxes and concentrations were found to vary significantly depending on the season. They averaged 2.69 ± 1.44 mg m −2 day −1 and 232.4 ± 90.93 μg g −1 in winter, respectively. In late spring-early summer the corresponding values amounted to 0.045 ± 0.015 mg m −2 day −1 and 13.72 ± 5.56 μg g −1, and they increased towards autumn, when mean values of 0.517 ± 0.228 mg m −2 day −1 and 98.86 ± 48.72 μg g −1 were obtained. In contrast, fatty acid fluxes and concentrations were low during winter (0.26 ± 0.08 mg m −2 day −1 and 21.95 ± 3.35 μg g −1), increased slightly towards the summer (0.48 ± 0.12 mg m −2 day −1 and 139.9 ± 44.6 μ g −1) and reached maximum rate and concentration in autumn, when average values were 1.98 ± 1.30 mg m 2 day −1 and 489.1 ± 186.7 μg g −1, respectively. The differences in composition, concentrations and fluxes of the fatty acids and hydrocarbons were related to the sources of sedimenting material, reflecting the influence of resuspension of bottom sediments during winter and the appearance of mucus aggregates during summer and their subsequent deposition in autumn.