Interesting topic. Maybe help: Sin et al. (2009), Algae 24(3): 149-161. There is also a book chapter: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/coastalbays/publications/Chapter4.5.pdf

Hi Satya,

This can be easily (and fairly cheaply) done by spectrophotometry. Details and equations can be found in Lorenzen 1967, in open access here : http://aslo.org/lo/toc/vol_12/issue_2/0343.pdf

Further specific information concerning marine sediments can notably be found in Pusceddu, A., Dell'Anno, A., Fabiano, M. and Danovaro, R., 2004. Quantity and biochemical composition of organic matter in marine sediments. Biol.Mar.Medit., 11

(Suppl. 1): 39-53.

Hope this helps !

Loïc

Hi,

For sampling, I suggest using a corer of a defined diameter (the basis of sediment pigments is usually area and not volume). If the sediment is "loosely packed", you may use a vakuum flask for sucking the uppermost layers into the bottle.

If you sample from hard substrate, you may use a so-called Douglas-sampler (remove the bottom of a plastic bottlle; the opening of the bottle needs a rubber sealing on the outer side). You then press the mouth of the bottle onto the substrate and scratch the material off with eg. a brush. You thenremove the loosened material with a vacuum flask.

Material is then transferred to the lab. We usually fill the material up to defined volume, mix it vigourolsey and then immediately subsample a defined volume. This is then filtrated onto a glassfiber filter, ground in a defined volume of cold aceton and left about 12 h in the fridge. Next step is centrifugation, the cleas supernatant can be measured with a spectrophotometer (663nm) or you use a HPLC to get also the additional pigments. I can send you a manual,with a formula.

All the best

Michael

So you need to consider what you are trying to measure- if it is only chl a and not any degradation products it will require hexane:acetone separation (Whitney and Darley 1979 Limnol Oceanogr), TLC plates, or HPLC. If it is a rough estimate you can use the standard fluorescence or spec methods with acidification. The volumetric calculation is simple for HPLC, fluorescence, or spec- instead of a volume of water do it based on weight or aerial size of the core being analyzed. Paul

I published a paper measuring surficial sediment chlorophyll-a in an estuary. I can send you a PDF if you request it. It is in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 62: 25-40. There are some issues to consider regarding computations, extraction methods, and sonication. We explored them a little in our paper.

By applying measured cut pieces of Whatman Lens Cleaning Tissue 105 on the surface of the sediment.

Take a sediment core sample from the habitat, pump out the overlying water, push the sediment layer present inside the core upward by applying a push from the bottom of the core. Cut the 0.5 cm thick sediment surface of the core and put it in a plastic box. Add some filtered lake water to it and shake. Keep the plastic box in rest overnight. In the next day you will see a thin sediment at the bottom of the box. Pump out carefully the overlying water with the help of a syringe in such a way that the sediment surface is not disturbed. Then apply cut pieces (2x2 cm or any selected size compatible to you) of the lens cleaning tissue on the surface of the sediment. Take care that the sediment surface must be just wet and should not contain floating water on it. The lens tissue should remain stick to the surface of the sediment. Keep the box in an illuminated controlled temperature cabinet for 24 h (during the process the sediment surface must remain moistened). After that, carefully take out the pieces of tissue with the help of a pincette and dip it into the recommended solvent for chlorophyll analysis kept in Pyrex tube. You will see that the chlorophyll from epipelons are coming out. To complete the extraction crushing is needed with the help of a morter. You can have clear pigment solution for spectrophotometry via filtration through GF/F filter paper (25 mm circles).

Great info.

@Loïc any place to access the work of Pusceddu et al 2004 Biol Mar Medit 11(S1): 39–53?