Spatial variability in surface sediment organic carbon structure in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 445

[author abstract] This study investigates where carbon in marine surface sediments originates from, as well as how seafloor peaks and valleys influence the distribution of carbon in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada. There was a wide distribution of marine and terrestrial carbon signatures. Results indicated that there was a negative correlation between weight percent of terrestrial carbon with distance from freshwater sources within Barkley Sound. The lack of the number of stations that were sampled for both carbon and bathymetry, lead to inconclusive evidence of whether bathymetric highs or lows gathered the most carbon.

University of Washington School of Oceanography