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Photobleaching Kinetics of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Derived from Mangrove Leaf Litter and Floating Sargassum Colonies
Citation:
Shank, G. C., R. G. ZEPP, A. VAHATALO, R. LEE, AND E. Bartels. Photobleaching Kinetics of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Derived from Mangrove Leaf Litter and Floating Sargassum Colonies. MARINE CHEMISTRY. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 119(1-4):162-171, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
We examined the photoreactivity of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) derived from Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) leaf litter and floating Sargassum colonies as these marine plants can be important contributors to coastal and open ocean CDOM pools, respectively. Mangrove and Sargassum CDOM readily degraded when exposed to simulated solar irradiance (CPS SunTest solar simulator exposures). CDOM produced from brown mangrove leaves (representative of substantial senescence) exhibited shorter photobleaching half-lives than CDOM produced from yellow and orange (early and mid senescence) leaves. An examination of CDOM photobleaching in Florida Keys coastal waters indicates that one month of summertime solar radiation may substantially increase UVB and UVA exposure to corals in shallow waters, especially along the offshore reef tract. But, our results also indicate that when ambient CDOM levels are high, the corals are well-buffered against increases in ultraviolet radiation (UV-R) exposure even after periods of extended CDOM photobleaching.
