Seasonal Variations of Highly ranched Isoprenoid Hydrocarbons and Pigment Biomarkers in Intertidal Sediments of the Tamar Estuary, UK

摘要

After preliminary experiments to ensure the reliability of the extraction and sampling methods, the concentrations and distributions of highly branched iso- prenoid (HBI) alkenes, n-henicosahexaene (HE), carotenoids and chlorophylls in surficial sediments of intertidal mudflats in the Tamar estuary, UK, were examined, at least monthly and often fortnightly, during the period, September 1993 to August 1994. The alkenes and the carotenoid fucoxanthin were present all year round, each exhibiting a trimodal sinuosity and suggesting the same or similar sources, most likely diatoms.