Nutrient distribution and controlled factors at the surface sediment of the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent sea area

The distributions of three forms of carbon (inorganic, organic and total carbon), nitrogen (inorganic, organic and total nitrogen) and phosphorus (inorganic, organic and total phosphorus) at the surface sediment were discussed through the analytical results of 24 sediment samples obtained from Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent sea area in Aug 2003. The results showed that inorganic carbon and inorganic phosphorus were the predominant forms of carbon and phosphorus respectively; while organic nitrogen was the predominant form of nitrogen. Based on that, the factors to affect the distributions of different forms of nutrients were discussed, and the distributions of nutrients were influenced greatly by the temperature of overlying water, the sediment grain size and the hydrodynamics at the surface sediments of the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent sea area.