Bottom Sediments
33
organic carbon in coral sands depends upon the degree of coral growth on
the reef. In reef zones with a low turbulence this shedding activity of corals
results in the formation of detritus sediments, enriched with organic matter
and with microbial biomass (Di Salvo and Gundersen 1971; Sorokin 1973c).
The content of organic matter in reef sediments remains relatively low even
with a significant flow from the water column (Charpy and Charpy-Rouband
1988; Le Borgne et al. 1988). It is a consequence of intensive decomposition
processes by microbial populations, which comprise in them an extremely
high biomass, forming 5 to 40% of their total organic matter (cf. Sect. 4.1).
The content of organic carbon usually varies in coral sands within 0.30.6%. Rarely does it exceed 1 % and the same content of Corg was found
in silty sediments, which often occupy the deep parts of the lagoon at
barrier reefs and which therefore contain a significant portion of terrigenous
material (Table 1.8).
33
organic carbon in coral sands depends upon the degree of coral growth on
the reef. In reef zones with a low turbulence this shedding activity of corals
results in the formation of detritus sediments, enriched with organic matter
and with microbial biomass (Di Salvo and Gundersen 1971; Sorokin 1973c).
The content of organic matter in reef sediments remains relatively low even
with a significant flow from the water column (Charpy and Charpy-Rouband
1988; Le Borgne et al. 1988). It is a consequence of intensive decomposition
processes by microbial populations, which comprise in them an extremely
high biomass, forming 5 to 40% of their total organic matter (cf. Sect. 4.1).
The content of organic carbon usually varies in coral sands within 0.30.6%. Rarely does it exceed 1 % and the same content of Corg was found
in silty sediments, which often occupy the deep parts of the lagoon at
barrier reefs and which therefore contain a significant portion of terrigenous
material (Table 1.8).