Marine lipids
Degradation rates of lipid classes
in marine natural samples
M. Goutx, L. Striby, R. Sempéré, C. Yoro
Université d'Aix-Marseille, laboratoire de microbiologie marine, CNRS UPR 223,
campus de Luminy, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
goutx@luminy.univ-mrs.fr
Lipid class degradation rates were determined during in vitro incubation
of natural samples of suspended particles. Our objective was to provide
residence times for the lipid component of the organic carbon pool and
to provide data set for the particle degradation models in the upper water
column. Particles were collected by in situ pumping and drifting
sediment traps. These substrates were further incubated with their
natural assemblages in the dark during 10 to 20 days at in situ temperature. Changes in the particulate and the dissolved lipid pools measured
by Iatroscan TLC/FID analyser were studied. Results show that marine
lipids separated into classes of compounds can be used for studying the
initial stages of organic matter consumption and decomposition in the
marine environment. Particulate lipid class consumption (36 to 64%)
was related to a range of decay constants from 0.01 to 0.1 days-1.
Acknowledgements
We thanks France Van Wambeke and Micheline Bianchi for providing the data
on the bacterial activities in the experiments.
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