Dissolved Organic Matter
Sources of dissolved organic matter in the Santa Barbara Channel
Our measurements have revealed seasonal differences in cross shelf gradients of organic and inorganic nutrients between the shallow rocky reefs where kelp forests occur and offshore pelagic ecosystems in the Santa Barbara Channel. We are characterizing key components of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool produced by the major groups of primary producers in the kelp forest, and assessing the ultimate fate of these materials within kelp forests and inner continental shelf ecosystems. Kelp and other macrophytes produce prodigious amounts of DOM and up to half of the carbon fixed by phytoplankton can enter the DOM pool. By examining the production and fate of this material we will quantify a major pathway of carbon export from the reef ecosystem and thus fill a critical knowledge gap.