On The Biogeochemical Characteristics of Surface Sediments in Chinhae Bay in September 1983

Distribution of organic materials In the surface sediments was investigated in September 1983 in Chinhae Bay System. Bottom waters containing less than 1ml/l of dissolved oxygen were found in Masan Bay, and in part of Kohyonsong Bay and Wonmunpo Bay. Organic carbon content in the surface sediments of Masan Bay was about 25mg/g and it decreased with increasing distance from the inner Masan Bay. Mean organic carbon contents in Wonmunpo Bay and Kohyonsong Bay were 25.48 and 31.39mg/g, respectively, which are higher values than those in Masan Bay where large amount of domestic and industrial wastewaters art discharged into the surface water and extensive phytoplankton occurs almost year round. Mean organic nitrogen and pheophyton contents were also the highest in Kohyonsong Bay amont eight subareas. In Masan Bay, settling of organic materials on the surface sediments seemed to be not significant because of active tidal mixing and relatively small size of particulate materials. In Kohyonsong Bay and Wonmunpo Bay large fecal pellets produced in shellfish farms could be easily settled down on the sediment because of weak current regime. DO content in the bottom waters were low in the organic material rich areas, and that suggests biodegradation of organic materials in the surface sediments could be an important oxygen consuming process during the study period of September 1983.