Dataset for: Photomineralization of organic carbon in a eutrophic, semiarid estuary

With the use of closed-system incubations, the effect of photochemical degradation on the carbon cycle in a eutrophic, semiarid estuary (Baffin Bay, Texas) was investigated. Two series of closed-system incubation data were collected. Measurements of stable carbon isotope of dissolved organic carbon were made at the beginning and the end of each incubation whereas Chl a was determined at the start of each incubation. The Photochemical production rate of dissolved inorganic carbon was between 0.16 to 0.68 µM hr-1. It was observed that there was a daily removal of 0.3%1.5% of the standing stock of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The photochemical degradation rate and chlorophyll a concentration were negatively correlated. The stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C-18.6‰) of degraded DOC, as determined from the DIC “Keeling” plot, indicated that the enrichment of 13C in DOC was due to the high photochemical lability. This dataset supports the publication: Wang, H., Hu, X., Wetz, M. S., Hayes, K. C., & Lu, K. (2020). Photomineralization of organic carbon in a eutrophic, semiarid estuary. Limnology and Oceanography Letters. doi:10.1002/lol2.10146