Dissolved organic matter (DOM) constitutes one of the largest actively cycled carbon reservoirs globally and is involved in significant carbon fluxes between land, oceans and atmosphere. Recent work acknowledged important roles of DOM transformations in the cycling of bioreactive elements (e.g. N, Fe) and planktonic/microbial foodweb dynamics, and further highlighted key roles of coloured DOM in aquatic optics and photochemistry. Yet, substantial gaps remain in our knowledge of its chemical composition, distribution, transformation pathways and ecosystem function. This session invites contributions across the entire range of aquatic environments that address these knowledge gaps. Examples of relevant research areas include:

Chemical characterisation of DOM;
DOM distribution, sources and cycling;
Interactions between dissolved and particulate organic matter;
DOM - foodweb interactions;
Photodegradation and its products;
Optical characteristics and remote sensing of coloured DOM (CDOM).

Guenther Uher (guenther.uher@ncl.ac.uk)
Anssi Vahatalo (vahatalo@mappi.helsinki.fi)
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Confirmed solicited speakers:

Elizabeth Minor (Large Lakes Observatory, USA)
DOM along the Continuum from River to Reservoir: a Comparison of Freshwater and Saline Transects