Variability in the biochemical composition of particulate organic matter in a bay of the Gulf of California, Mexico

Se presenta la distribucion de la materia organica particulada (MOP), asi como su composicion bioquimica en Bahia Concepcion, Golfo de California durante 1991 a 1993. A partir de su correlacion con la clorofila, se calculo la contribucion de las particulas de origen fitoplanctonico y no fitoplanctonico a la materia organica total. La concentracion de clorofila registro sus valores maximos durante la temporada fria, principalmente en los dos primeros anos. La concentracion de carbohidratos registro cambios importantes asociados a la variacion interanual. Durante 1991 y 1993 sus concentraciones no tuvieron gran variacion entre los diferentes meses, mientras que en 1992 se registro un notable incremento durante el verano. Las proteinas asociaron sus valores maximos con la temporada fria, mientras que sus minimos se registraron principalmente en los meses calidos, esto durante 1991 y 1993, ya que durante 1992 el comportamiento fue inverso. Tanto las concentraciones de los carbohidratos como de las proteinas registraron bajos coeficientes de determinacion con relacion a la clorofila (rsup2/sup Remote sensing of suspended matter plumes triggered by runoff in the south Gulf of California We present the distribution during 1991-1993 of the particulate organic matter (POM) as well as its biochemical composition in Bahia Concepcion, Gulf of California. From its correlation with the chlorophyll, we calculated the contribution of phytoplanktonic and non-phytoplanktonic particles to total organic matter. The concentration of chlorophyll registered its maximum values during the cold season, mainly in the first two years. The concentration of carbohydrates registered important changes associated with year-to-year variation. During 1991 and 1993 carbohydrate concentrations did not vary greatly between months, whereas in 1992 a marked increase was registered during the summer. Protein maximum values were associated with the cold season, whereas minima were recorded mainly in the warm months during 1991 and 1993, however, during 1992 the behavior was reverse. Both the concentrations of carbohydrate and protein showed low coefficients of determination in relation to chlorophyll (rsup2/sup< 0.40), which may suggest the implication of an alternate source of these phytoplankton metabolites. By means of the carbohydrate/protein ratio we determined that the particulate organic matter presented a higher nutritional quality during the cold season.