Sources of Fatty Acids in Sediments of the York River Estuary: Relationships with Physical and Biological Processes

Abstract

Fatty acid (FA) composition (neutral FA and phospholipid-linked FA) was examined in surface sediments at two sites of the York River estuary (VA, Chesapeake Bay) with contrasting benthic dynamics, Clay Bank (CB) and Gloucester Point (GP), in order to study organic carbon sources and their relationship to biological and physical processes. Our results suggest that FA composition in surface sediments was driven by biological and physical events, occurring mostly during the period of high river discharge, including: (1) the spring phytoplankton bloom, likely responsible for high concentrations of FA of algal origin at CB in March 2007, (2) the fall phytoplankton bloom, causing a secondary peak of algal FA and an increase in viable microbial biomass at CB in October 2007, and (3) a physical event in May 2007, resulting in high concentrations of terrestrial and bacterial FA at GP. FA concentrations tended to be higher but more variable during periods of high freshwater discharge, with trends more pronounced at the upstream site, suggesting connectivity between biological and physical processes.