title: Relationships between colored dissolved organic matter and dissolved organic carbon in different coastal gradients of the Baltic Sea.
abstract: Due to high terrestrial runoff, the Baltic Sea is rich in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the light-absorbing fraction of which is referred to as colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Inputs of DOC and CDOM are predicted to increase with climate change, affecting coastal ecosystems. We found that the relationships between DOC, CDOM, salinity, and Secchi depth all differed between the two coastal areas studied; the W Gulf of Bothnia with high terrestrial input and the NW Baltic Proper with relatively little terrestrial input. The CDOM:DOC ratio was higher in the Gulf of Bothnia, where CDOM had a greater influence on the Secchi depth, which is used as an indicator of eutrophication and hence important for Baltic Sea management. Based on the results of this study, we recommend regular CDOM measurements in monitoring programmes, to increase the value of concurrent Secchi depth measurements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden, therese.harvey@su.se.
authors.forename: E Therese
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kratzer
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005068:Eutrophication; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon