Spatio-temporal variability of fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the Rhône River delta and the Fos-Marseille marine area (NW Mediterranean Sea, France)

The spatio-temporal variability of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) and its relationships with physical (temperature, salinity) and chemical (nutrients, chlorophyll a, dissolved and particulate organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) parameters were investigated in inland waters of the Rhône River delta and the Fos-Marseille marine area (northwestern Mediterranean, France). Samples were taken approximately twice per month in two inland sites and three marine sites from February 2011 to January 2012. FDOM was analysed using fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). In inland waters, humic-like components C1 (λEₓ/λEₘ: 250 (330)/394 nm) and C3 (λEₓ/λEₘ: 250 (350)/454 nm) dominated over one tryptophan-like component C2 (λEₓ/λEₘ: 230 (280)/340 nm), reflecting a background contribution of terrigenous material (~67% of total fluorescence intensity, in quinine sulphate unit (QSU)) throughout the year. In marine waters, protein-like material, with tyrosine-like C4 (λEₓ/λEₘ: <220 (275)/<300 nm) and tryptophan-like C5 (λEₓ/λEₘ: 230 (280)/342 nm), dominated (~71% of total fluorescence intensity, in QSU) over a single humic-like component C6 (λEₓ/λEₘ: 245 (300)/450 nm). In inland waters of the Rhône River delta, humic-like components C1 and C3 were more abundant in autumn-winter, very likely due to inputs of terrestrial organic matter from rainfalls, runoffs and wind-induced sediment resuspension. In marine sites, intrusions of the Berre Lagoon and Rhône River waters had a significant impact on the local biogeochemistry, leading to higher fluorescence intensities of humic- and protein-like components in spring-summer. On average, the fluorescence intensities of FDOM components C4, C5 and C6 increased by 33–81% under lower salinity. This work highlights the complex dynamics of FDOM in coastal waters and confirms the link between marine FDOM and the Rhône River freshwater intrusions on larger spatial and temporal scales in the Fos-Marseille marine area.