Sources and degradation of organic matter in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea: insights from amino acids

In the context of global warming and rapid environment change in the Arctic, the supply of organic matter (OM) has increased significantly and a large amount of OM are buried on the Arctic shelf. Studying the fate of OM in Arctic shelf sediments is crucial to understanding the global carbon sink. As a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea is one of the most critical areas where OM is buried. Based on the surface sediment samples collected during the sixth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in the summer of 2014 and the Sino-Russian joint Arctic Research Expedition in the summer of 2016, this study takes amino acids (AAs) as the primary tool to explore the source and degradation of OM in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea. This study shows that total hydrolyzable amino acid (THAA) concentrations (dry weight) are high, with a mean value of (32.7 ± 15.8) µmol/g. Their spatial distribution is related to primary productivity, hydrodynamic conditions, sediment properties and other factors. The source of OM in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea is dominated by diatom-dominated marine productivity, with some input from terrestrial sources. Bacteria, as the main source of the D-enantiomer of AA (D-AA), not only have transforming effect on OM, but their cell walls and remnants likewise supply the OM pool. Based on a series of diagenetic indicators, we conclude that the OM in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea has undergone extensive degradation [DI (degradation index) = −0.59 ± 0.44], and the degradation degree in the slope is higher than that in the shelf. This study uses AA to explore the sources and degradation of OM in the sediments of the Chukchi Sea, which facilitates our understanding of OM transport and transformation on the Arctic shelf.