File:Studies of dissolved carbohydrates (or carbohydrate-like substances) in an estuarine environment.pdf

−1 and from 75 to 450 μg C l−1 respectively. In the estuary, TDCHO and MCHO were usually lower; they varied respectively from 20 to 570 μg C l−1 and from 0 to 180 μg C l−1. In June, some TDCHO values were much higher, probably because some polysaccharide was produced at this time by phytoplankton excretion or lysis. The relationship between Cl%o and TDCHO was dependent on the seasons. TDCHO was conservative in autumn, winter and early spring. TDCHO and DOC concentrations were fairly well correlated during the same period. Similar results have been previously reported by various workers. MCHO and TDCHO concentrations were well correlated throughout this study except in June. From these results, it was concluded that most dissolved carbohydrates were linked to a conservative fraction of the organic matter in periods of low biological activity, whereas newly biosynthesised carbohydrates were responsible for non-conservative behaviour.