Sedimentary Carbon Cycle in the Continental Shelf and Continental Slope off Gampo, East Sea

In order to determine if there is any physiographic preference for sedimentary organic matter preservation, two gravity cores were collected off Gampo, East Sea: one from continental shelf and the other from continental slope. Concentrations of porewater nutrients and total were all higher in the continental shelf station, St. A, than the continental slope station, St. B. Meanwhile, concentrations of porewater sulfate decreased more rapidly at St. A than at St. B. Sedimentary organic carbon and nitrogen contents were lower and decreased more rapidly at St. A than at St. B. These data characters of porewater chemistry and sedimentary organic matter suggest that the organic matter is more actively decomposed at St. A than at St. B. At least over the study area, therefore, the sedimentary organic matter in the continental slope appears to be better preserved than that in the continental shelf.