Date of Award
1999
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Louda, J. William
Abstract
An analysis of the waters, microphytobenthos, and carbonate marl sediments of Florida Bay was performed using ion-paired RP-HPLC-PDA for chemotaxonomic characterization of past and present photoautotrophic, communities. Application of regression formulae was determined to be applicable for the waters, microphytobenthos, and surficial sediments (0--5 cm) of Florida Bay using chemotaxonomic principles. Loss of chemotaxonomically important pigments with depth prevented similar application in deeper strata (>5 cm), however, past oxic and anoxic trends could be determined. Sedimentary alteration of pigments are characterized by: rapid conversion of chlorophylls-alpha and bacteriochlorophylls-alpha to their respective pheophytins-alpha, creation of a 'carotenoid diol-cluster', equilibrium isomerization of beta-carotene (15-cis and trans), and rapid conversion of pyropheophorbide-alpha to cyclopheophorbide-alpha. An abundant presence of pyropheophorbide-alpha steryl/hopanoid esters and an unusual relationship between organic carbon and water content providing the sediments with polymeric characteristics were also found.
Extent
232 p.
Recommended Citation
Loitz, Joseph William, "Isolation and characterization of chlorophyll and carotenoids in Florida Bay: Phytoplankton, microphytobenthos and sediments" (1999). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1990 - 1999. 1480.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_4/1480
Identifier
FADT15734
Comments
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1999.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1999.