Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter in Marine Pore Waters by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Recently, the application of ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) has been extended to the characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural environments. We used FT-ICR-MS to elucidate the fate of organic matter (OM) shortly after deposition on a continental shelf. Although OM in shelf sediments plays an essential role in the global carbon cycle, sources and transformation processes within the sediment are poorly understood. In this study, we analyze for the first time small volumes of marine pore water DOM using FT-ICR-MS and compare the results to the lipid biomarker composition in particulate organic matter (POM) of the associated sediment.