482
M. Pettine . L. Patrolecco . S. Capri
TDCHO vs. DOC slopes, which have been found to vary from 0.09 to 0.29 (Burney and
Sieburth 1977; Senior and Chevolot 1991; Pakulski and Benner 1994).
Contrary to colloidal and carbohydrate components, DFAA varied within the approximate range 100-400 nM reported for marine waters (Thurman 1985) and contributed <1% to DOC in the various cruises. However, based on a limited data set available for total dissolved amino acids (TDAA), they gave average carbon concentrations
(11M) of 3.9 ±0.7, 5.1 ±2·5 and 2.4 ±2.1 in February 1997, June 1997 and February 1998,
contributing 4.5, 4.9 and 2.9% to DOC, respectively.
Further investigations are needed to improve our knowledge of the qualitative characteristics of DOM, with particular emphasis on dominant polymeric compounds that
are included in the colloidal fraction and may give rise to coagulation processes leading to the f(}rmation of macroaggregates.
Acknowledgements
The studies summarized in this paper were carried out in the framework of the multidisciplinary project on the Adriatic Sea (PRISMA) supported by the Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MURST).
References
Benner RH (1998) Cycling of dissolved organic matter in the ocean. In: Hessen DO, Tranvick L (eds)
Ecol Stud 133:317-331
Benner RH, Chin-Leo G, Gardner W, Eadie B, Cotner J (1992) The fates and effects of riverine and shelfderived DOM on Mississippi River plume/Gulf shelf processes. Proceedings of the workshop "Nutrient enhanced coastal ocean productivity". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Coastal Ocean Program Office, pp 84-94
Benner RH, Biddanda B, Black B, McCarthy M (1997) Abundance, size distribution and stable carbon
and nitrogen isotopic compositions of marine organic matter isolated by tangential-flow ultrafiltration. Mar Chern 57:243-263
Buffle J, Leppard GG (1995) Characterization of aquatic colloids and macromolecules 2. Key role of physical structures on analytical results. Environ Sci Technol 29:2176-2184
Burney CM, Sieburth J (1977) Dissolved carbohydrates in sea water. II. A spectrophotometric procedure
for total carbohydrate analysis and polysaccharide estimation. Mar Chern 5:15-28
Chisholm S (1992) What limits phytoplankton growth? Oceanus 35(3):36-46
Cloern JE (1996) Phyfoplankton bloom dynamics in coastal ecosystem: A review with some generallessons from sustained investigation of San Francisco Bay, California. Rev Geophys 34:127-168
Copin-Montegut G, Avril B (1993) Vertical distribution and temporal variation of dissolved organic carbon in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Deep-Sea Res 40(10):1963-1972
Cowie GL, Hedges JI (1992) Improved amino acids quantification in environmental samples: Charge
matched recovery standards and reduced analysis time. Mar Chern 37:223-238
Dai M, Buesseler KO, Ripple P, Andrews J, Belastock RA, Gustafsson 0, Moran SB (1998) Evaluation at
two cross-flow ultrafiltration membranes for isolating marine organic colloids. Mar Chern 62:117-136
Degobbis D, Gilmartin M (1990) Nitrogen, phosphorus and biogenic silicon budgets for the northern
Adriatic sea. Oceanol Acta 13:31-45
Degobbis D, Fonda-Umani S, Franco P, Malej A, Precali R, Smodlaka N (1995) Changes in northern Adriatic ecosystem and the hypertrophic appearance of gelatinous aggregates. Sci Total Environ 165:43-58
Degobbis D, Malej A, Fonda Umani S (1999) The mucilage phenomenon in the northern Adriatic sea. A
critical review of the present scientific hypotheses. Annali Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISSN)
35(3l:373-381
Fonda-Umani S, Ghirardelli E, Specchi M (1988) II fenomeno del "mare sporco" nell'Adriatico. In:
Brambati A (ed) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Progetto Strategico Oceanografia e Tecnologie
Marine, pp 37-42
Funari E, Farooq A, Fonda Umani S, Pagnotta R (1999) State of the art and new scientific hypotheses on
the phenomenon of mucilages in the Adriatic sea. Annali Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISSN) 35(3):353-425
M. Pettine . L. Patrolecco . S. Capri
TDCHO vs. DOC slopes, which have been found to vary from 0.09 to 0.29 (Burney and
Sieburth 1977; Senior and Chevolot 1991; Pakulski and Benner 1994).
Contrary to colloidal and carbohydrate components, DFAA varied within the approximate range 100-400 nM reported for marine waters (Thurman 1985) and contributed <1% to DOC in the various cruises. However, based on a limited data set available for total dissolved amino acids (TDAA), they gave average carbon concentrations
(11M) of 3.9 ±0.7, 5.1 ±2·5 and 2.4 ±2.1 in February 1997, June 1997 and February 1998,
contributing 4.5, 4.9 and 2.9% to DOC, respectively.
Further investigations are needed to improve our knowledge of the qualitative characteristics of DOM, with particular emphasis on dominant polymeric compounds that
are included in the colloidal fraction and may give rise to coagulation processes leading to the f(}rmation of macroaggregates.
Acknowledgements
The studies summarized in this paper were carried out in the framework of the multidisciplinary project on the Adriatic Sea (PRISMA) supported by the Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MURST).
References
Benner RH (1998) Cycling of dissolved organic matter in the ocean. In: Hessen DO, Tranvick L (eds)
Ecol Stud 133:317-331
Benner RH, Chin-Leo G, Gardner W, Eadie B, Cotner J (1992) The fates and effects of riverine and shelfderived DOM on Mississippi River plume/Gulf shelf processes. Proceedings of the workshop "Nutrient enhanced coastal ocean productivity". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Coastal Ocean Program Office, pp 84-94
Benner RH, Biddanda B, Black B, McCarthy M (1997) Abundance, size distribution and stable carbon
and nitrogen isotopic compositions of marine organic matter isolated by tangential-flow ultrafiltration. Mar Chern 57:243-263
Buffle J, Leppard GG (1995) Characterization of aquatic colloids and macromolecules 2. Key role of physical structures on analytical results. Environ Sci Technol 29:2176-2184
Burney CM, Sieburth J (1977) Dissolved carbohydrates in sea water. II. A spectrophotometric procedure
for total carbohydrate analysis and polysaccharide estimation. Mar Chern 5:15-28
Chisholm S (1992) What limits phytoplankton growth? Oceanus 35(3):36-46
Cloern JE (1996) Phyfoplankton bloom dynamics in coastal ecosystem: A review with some generallessons from sustained investigation of San Francisco Bay, California. Rev Geophys 34:127-168
Copin-Montegut G, Avril B (1993) Vertical distribution and temporal variation of dissolved organic carbon in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Deep-Sea Res 40(10):1963-1972
Cowie GL, Hedges JI (1992) Improved amino acids quantification in environmental samples: Charge
matched recovery standards and reduced analysis time. Mar Chern 37:223-238
Dai M, Buesseler KO, Ripple P, Andrews J, Belastock RA, Gustafsson 0, Moran SB (1998) Evaluation at
two cross-flow ultrafiltration membranes for isolating marine organic colloids. Mar Chern 62:117-136
Degobbis D, Gilmartin M (1990) Nitrogen, phosphorus and biogenic silicon budgets for the northern
Adriatic sea. Oceanol Acta 13:31-45
Degobbis D, Fonda-Umani S, Franco P, Malej A, Precali R, Smodlaka N (1995) Changes in northern Adriatic ecosystem and the hypertrophic appearance of gelatinous aggregates. Sci Total Environ 165:43-58
Degobbis D, Malej A, Fonda Umani S (1999) The mucilage phenomenon in the northern Adriatic sea. A
critical review of the present scientific hypotheses. Annali Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISSN)
35(3l:373-381
Fonda-Umani S, Ghirardelli E, Specchi M (1988) II fenomeno del "mare sporco" nell'Adriatico. In:
Brambati A (ed) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Progetto Strategico Oceanografia e Tecnologie
Marine, pp 37-42
Funari E, Farooq A, Fonda Umani S, Pagnotta R (1999) State of the art and new scientific hypotheses on
the phenomenon of mucilages in the Adriatic sea. Annali Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISSN) 35(3):353-425