Dynamic distribution and photochemical-microbial coupling degradation of dissolved organic matter in a large river-Influenced Bay

Abstract

A large river-influenced offshore area is the junction where land and open sea meet, which is important in the biogeochemical processes of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Because hydrodynamic and biogeochemical processes are complex, processes such as the photochemical and microbial degradation of DOM are poorly understood. In this study, to further understand the degradation mechanisms of DOM from different sources, water was sampled from three cruises during autumn 2018 and spring and summer 2019 in Laizhou Bay (LZB), as this bay is greatly influenced by the Yellow River. Field incubation experiments examining the riverine, mixed, and marine DOM photochemical and microbial degradation processes alone or in combination were conducted onboard. Due to the dual influence of the Yellow River input and phytoplankton autogenous production, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chromophoric DOM (CDOM) show relatively conservative mixing behaviour with maximum values in summer, and the S_275–295 gradually increases from the river to nearshore. In addition, it is indicated that higher primary productivity from large nutrient inputs in areas with moderate salinity during the summer is often accompanied by higher bioavailability DOM based on field investigation results. Various sources of DOM have different sensitivities to photochemical and microbial degradation due to their components and properties. Riverine DOM is susceptible to photochemical degradation, while marine DOM is more susceptible to microbial degradation. Moreover, the low-molecular-weight organic matter produced by photochemical degradation effectively promotes the microbial degradation of DOM from riverine sources, whereas photodegradation from mixed and marine sources do not significantly increase the biodegradation efficiency due to the low content of aromatic substances. Furthermore, photoammonification and bioammonification of autochthonous and allochthonous DOM may be the potential processes driving ammonia regeneration.