Randomized trial examines photodegradation effects on DOM composition in marine environments, indicating significant bloom influences.
Key Points
The aim was to explore how phytoplankton blooms and photodegradation affect the composition of colored and fluorescent DOM in the sea-surface microlayer.
Conducted a month-long mesocosm study at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Germany.
Analyzed daily samples from the sea-surface microlayer and underlying water using spectral fluorometric and photometric methods.
Investigated FDOM composition changes through statistical analysis (PERMANOVA).
Protein-like FDOM components increased in both layers during bloom progression.
Humic-like FDOM components decreased throughout the study.
Photodegradation was identified as the dominant sink of organic matter over microbial activity.