Variability of suspended organic matter in the northwestern Black Sea

Abstract

The peculiarities in the distribution pattern of the concentration of suspended organic matter (SOM) components were studied for the long-term period of 1979–1995. We have analyzed their seasonal, annual, and interannual variability in the surface water layer and in the photosynthetic water layer in the northwestern Black Sea. Four areas pertaining to different concentrations of SOM components were defined according to the effect of riverine discharge and of open sea water masses, i.e. western, northern, central, and eastern areas. We have found an increase in the concentrations of SOM components in the summer-autumn period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the highest values observed in 1992. The concentration of suspended organic carbon was estimated for the concentration of Chlorophyll a in the surface water layer. These calculations are based on the regression relationship between simultaneous measurements of these two parameters in situ. It was found that the seasonal interannual variability in the concentrations of SOM components was affected by the volume of riverine discharge, its run to the sea, and climatic shifts.