| Biogeochemical transformations of dissolved organic matter at the sediment-water interface were investigated by the use of benthic chambers in the western Gulf of Lions. The experimental approach used for this study consisted of in situ incubations of radiolabeled glutamic acid ((14)C-Glu), followed by a sequential extraction allowing the quantification of the radioactivity associated to different chemical fractions, representative of different biogeochemical processes. This technique was devised to simulate the fate of simple dissolved compounds resulting from the degradation of particulate organic matter near the seafloor. In our experiment the substrate underwent both biotic (mineralization, bacterial incorporation) and abiotic (geopolymerization)... |
