412
P. Picon et al.
quently much more refractory and less easily
metabolizable, and is thus more likely to be
accumulated in the sediment.
Conclusions
Summarizing. although obtained by the use of
different methods, our results confirm the range
of SCOC values already registered by other
authors in the Gulf of Lions (Helder 1989; Tahey
et al. 1994). In this area the sediment oxygen
uptake rates vary both temporally and spatially
and seem to be related to biological parameters
such as meiofaunal density and bacterial activity.
On the slope, SCOC displays higher values in the
canyon axis as compared to open slopes, which
may possibly be explained on the basis of the
higher rates of organic matter input. With respect
to this input, we have calculated that, on average,
50% of the carbon that reaches the seafloor at the
slope stations is mineralized, confirming thus the
importance of mineralization in the frame of the
processes occurring at the sediment-water interface. Future steps will include an effort to extend
these calculations to other sites in the Gulf of
Lions, with the aim of understanding the relative
importance of the shelf and slope areas with
respect to carbon transformations.
Acknowledgements. The authors are grateful to the Ohservatoire Oceanologique de Banyuls sur Mer for logistical assistance and to the CIRMED for providing ship time. This
research has been undertaken in the framework of the French
"Programme National d'Oceanographie COtiere" and of the
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) phase II-Mater. We
acknowledge the support from the European Commission's
Marine Science and Technology Programme (MAST TIl)
under contract MAS3-CT96-00Sl.
References
Anderson RF, Rowe GT, Kemp PF, Trumbore S, Biscaye PE (1994)
Carbon budget fur the mid-slope depocenter of the Middle
Atlantic Bight. Deep-Sea Res II 41: 669-703
Bauer IE, Druffel ERM (1998) Ocean margins as a significant
source of organic matter to the deep open ocean. Nature 392:
482-485
Berelson WM, Anderson RF, Dymond J, DeMaster D, Hammond
DE, Collier R. Honjo S, Leinen M, McManus J. Pope R. Smith
C, Stephens M (1997) Biogenic budgets of particle rain,
benthic remineralization and sediment accumulation in the
equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Res II 44: 2251-2282
Berelson WM, McManus T, Coale KH, Johnson KS, Kilgore T,
Burdige D, Pilska1n C (1996) Biogenic matter diagenesis on
the sea floor: a comparison between two continental margin
transects. J Mar Res 54: 731-762
Blackburn TH (1991) Accumulation and regeneration: processes
at the benthic boundary layer. In: Mantoura R.FC. Martin JM. Wollast R (eds) Ocean margin processes in global change. John Wiley and Sons, NewYork,pp 181-195
Burdige Dr. Homstead J (1994) Fluxes of dissolved organic carbon
from Chesapeake Bay sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta
58: 3407-3424
Buscail R, Germain C (1997) Present-day organic matter sedimentation on the NW Mediterranean margin: importance of
off-shelf export. Limnol Oceanogr 42: 217-229
Buscail R. Pocklington R, Daumas R, Guidi LD (1990) Fluxes and
budget of organic matter in the benthic boundary layer over
the northwestern mediterranean margin. Cont Shelf Res 10:
1089-1122
Canfield DE (1993) Organic matter oxidation in marine sediments. In: Wollast R, Mackenzie FT, Chou L (eds)
Interactions of C, N. P and S: biogeochemical cycles and global change. (NATO ASI Ser 14) Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Heidelberg New York Tokyo. pp 333-363
de Bovee F, Guidi LD, Sayer J (1990) Quantitative distribution of
deep-sea meiobenthos in the northwestern Mediterranean
{Gulf of Lions}. Cont Shelf Res 10: 1123-1145
de Bovee F, Picon P, Medernach L et al (1998) In situ studies of
biogeochemical processes oeeuring at the deep-sea fioor:
first results obtained with the Banyuls Benthic Lander. Eur
Geophys Soc, Katlenburg-Lindau. Germany. Annales Gephys
16:C731 (SupplII)
Deming rw, Baross JA (1993) The early diagenesis of organic matter: bacterial activity. In: Engel MH, Macko SA (eds) Organic
geochemistry, principles and applications. Plenum Press,
NewYork,pp 119-144
Etcheber H, Relexans J -CO Beliard M, Weber 0, Buscail R, Heussner
S (1999) Distribution and quality of sedimentary organic
matter on the Aquitanian margin (Bay of Biscay). Deep-Sea
Res II 46: 2249-2288
Got H, Aloisi I-C, Monaco A (1985) Sedimentary processes in
Mediterranean deltas and shelves. In: Stanley DJ. Wezel FC
(eds) Geological evolution of the Mediterr basin. SpringerVerlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 355-376
Hargrave BT (1973) Coupling carbon flow through some pelagic
and benthic communities. J Fish Res Board Can 30: 13171326
Hedges JI (1992) Early diagenesis of organic matter in marine
sediments: progress and perplexity. Mar Chem 39: 67-93
Hedges JI. Keil RG (1995) Sedimentary organic matter preservation: an assessment and speculative synthesis. Mar Chem 49:
81-115
Helder W (1989) Early diagenesis and sediment-water exchange in
the Golfe du Lion. In: Martin JM. Barth H (eds) EROS 2000
(European River Ocean System) project. Water Pollut Res
Rep, CEe Directorate-Gen Sci Res Dev, Brussels 13, pp 87-101
Henrichs SM (1992) Early diagenesis of organic matter in marine
sediments: progress and perplexity. Mar Chem 39: 119-149
Heussner S, Calafat AM. Palanques A (1996) Quantitative and
qualitative features of particle fluxes in the North-Balearic
basin. In: Canals M, Casamor JL. Cacho I, Calamt AM,
Monaco A (ed8) EUROMARGE-NB Final Rep. MAST II
Progr, vol II, pp 41-66
Hulth S, Tenberg A, Landen A, Hall POI (1997) Mineralization and
burial of organic carbon in sediments of the southern
Weddell Sea (Antarctica). Deep-Sea Res 44: 955-981
Lampitt RS, Raine RCT, Billett DSM, Rice AL (1995) Material supply to the European continental slope: a budget based on
benthic oxygen demand and organic supply. Deep-Sea Res
42:1865-1880
P. Picon et al.
quently much more refractory and less easily
metabolizable, and is thus more likely to be
accumulated in the sediment.
Conclusions
Summarizing. although obtained by the use of
different methods, our results confirm the range
of SCOC values already registered by other
authors in the Gulf of Lions (Helder 1989; Tahey
et al. 1994). In this area the sediment oxygen
uptake rates vary both temporally and spatially
and seem to be related to biological parameters
such as meiofaunal density and bacterial activity.
On the slope, SCOC displays higher values in the
canyon axis as compared to open slopes, which
may possibly be explained on the basis of the
higher rates of organic matter input. With respect
to this input, we have calculated that, on average,
50% of the carbon that reaches the seafloor at the
slope stations is mineralized, confirming thus the
importance of mineralization in the frame of the
processes occurring at the sediment-water interface. Future steps will include an effort to extend
these calculations to other sites in the Gulf of
Lions, with the aim of understanding the relative
importance of the shelf and slope areas with
respect to carbon transformations.
Acknowledgements. The authors are grateful to the Ohservatoire Oceanologique de Banyuls sur Mer for logistical assistance and to the CIRMED for providing ship time. This
research has been undertaken in the framework of the French
"Programme National d'Oceanographie COtiere" and of the
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) phase II-Mater. We
acknowledge the support from the European Commission's
Marine Science and Technology Programme (MAST TIl)
under contract MAS3-CT96-00Sl.
References
Anderson RF, Rowe GT, Kemp PF, Trumbore S, Biscaye PE (1994)
Carbon budget fur the mid-slope depocenter of the Middle
Atlantic Bight. Deep-Sea Res II 41: 669-703
Bauer IE, Druffel ERM (1998) Ocean margins as a significant
source of organic matter to the deep open ocean. Nature 392:
482-485
Berelson WM, Anderson RF, Dymond J, DeMaster D, Hammond
DE, Collier R. Honjo S, Leinen M, McManus J. Pope R. Smith
C, Stephens M (1997) Biogenic budgets of particle rain,
benthic remineralization and sediment accumulation in the
equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Res II 44: 2251-2282
Berelson WM, McManus T, Coale KH, Johnson KS, Kilgore T,
Burdige D, Pilska1n C (1996) Biogenic matter diagenesis on
the sea floor: a comparison between two continental margin
transects. J Mar Res 54: 731-762
Blackburn TH (1991) Accumulation and regeneration: processes
at the benthic boundary layer. In: Mantoura R.FC. Martin JM. Wollast R (eds) Ocean margin processes in global change. John Wiley and Sons, NewYork,pp 181-195
Burdige Dr. Homstead J (1994) Fluxes of dissolved organic carbon
from Chesapeake Bay sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta
58: 3407-3424
Buscail R, Germain C (1997) Present-day organic matter sedimentation on the NW Mediterranean margin: importance of
off-shelf export. Limnol Oceanogr 42: 217-229
Buscail R. Pocklington R, Daumas R, Guidi LD (1990) Fluxes and
budget of organic matter in the benthic boundary layer over
the northwestern mediterranean margin. Cont Shelf Res 10:
1089-1122
Canfield DE (1993) Organic matter oxidation in marine sediments. In: Wollast R, Mackenzie FT, Chou L (eds)
Interactions of C, N. P and S: biogeochemical cycles and global change. (NATO ASI Ser 14) Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Heidelberg New York Tokyo. pp 333-363
de Bovee F, Guidi LD, Sayer J (1990) Quantitative distribution of
deep-sea meiobenthos in the northwestern Mediterranean
{Gulf of Lions}. Cont Shelf Res 10: 1123-1145
de Bovee F, Picon P, Medernach L et al (1998) In situ studies of
biogeochemical processes oeeuring at the deep-sea fioor:
first results obtained with the Banyuls Benthic Lander. Eur
Geophys Soc, Katlenburg-Lindau. Germany. Annales Gephys
16:C731 (SupplII)
Deming rw, Baross JA (1993) The early diagenesis of organic matter: bacterial activity. In: Engel MH, Macko SA (eds) Organic
geochemistry, principles and applications. Plenum Press,
NewYork,pp 119-144
Etcheber H, Relexans J -CO Beliard M, Weber 0, Buscail R, Heussner
S (1999) Distribution and quality of sedimentary organic
matter on the Aquitanian margin (Bay of Biscay). Deep-Sea
Res II 46: 2249-2288
Got H, Aloisi I-C, Monaco A (1985) Sedimentary processes in
Mediterranean deltas and shelves. In: Stanley DJ. Wezel FC
(eds) Geological evolution of the Mediterr basin. SpringerVerlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 355-376
Hargrave BT (1973) Coupling carbon flow through some pelagic
and benthic communities. J Fish Res Board Can 30: 13171326
Hedges JI (1992) Early diagenesis of organic matter in marine
sediments: progress and perplexity. Mar Chem 39: 67-93
Hedges JI. Keil RG (1995) Sedimentary organic matter preservation: an assessment and speculative synthesis. Mar Chem 49:
81-115
Helder W (1989) Early diagenesis and sediment-water exchange in
the Golfe du Lion. In: Martin JM. Barth H (eds) EROS 2000
(European River Ocean System) project. Water Pollut Res
Rep, CEe Directorate-Gen Sci Res Dev, Brussels 13, pp 87-101
Henrichs SM (1992) Early diagenesis of organic matter in marine
sediments: progress and perplexity. Mar Chem 39: 119-149
Heussner S, Calafat AM. Palanques A (1996) Quantitative and
qualitative features of particle fluxes in the North-Balearic
basin. In: Canals M, Casamor JL. Cacho I, Calamt AM,
Monaco A (ed8) EUROMARGE-NB Final Rep. MAST II
Progr, vol II, pp 41-66
Hulth S, Tenberg A, Landen A, Hall POI (1997) Mineralization and
burial of organic carbon in sediments of the southern
Weddell Sea (Antarctica). Deep-Sea Res 44: 955-981
Lampitt RS, Raine RCT, Billett DSM, Rice AL (1995) Material supply to the European continental slope: a budget based on
benthic oxygen demand and organic supply. Deep-Sea Res
42:1865-1880