Table 7. Mean biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, mg Op/m per day) in waters 



of the ocean, and as determined by various methods (Riley, 1951; Novoselov, 



1962; Munk, 1966; Arons, Stommel , 1967; Pomeroy, Johannes, 1968; Holm- 



Hansen, 1969; Sorokin, 1971a, Ostapenya, 1971; Strickland, 1971, and 

 others) . 



Biotope 



Temperature 



Method 



Other methods* 



Subarctic surface water 

 Shelf water from boreal 



zone 

 Surface water of boreal 



zone 

 Tropical water of coral 



shoals 

 Tropical surface water 



of coastal upwelling 

 Tropical surface water 



of equatorial divergence 

 Tropical surface water 



of western pelagic zone 

 Tropical surface water 



of central ocean 

 Intermediate Antarctic 



water of central ocean 

 Deep water of western part 



of ocean 

 Deep water of central 



region of ocean 



*Methods: b = measurement of oxygen consumption in bottles in short-term 

 or long-term experiments; ATP = calculation on the basis of the content of 

 ATP in plankton using the ratio BOD:ATP = 500; TP = theoretical calculation 

 on the basis of physical data; TG = theoretical calculation on the basis of 

 geochemical data. 



in these sediments is about 200 g 02/m^. The oxygen shortage caused by 

 this intensive consumption in the sediment of the neritic zone is largely 

 compensated for by its liberation upon photosynthesis by the peri phy ton and 

 phytobenthos. Due to the intensive destruction occurring in the bottom 

 sediments in the neritic zone and shelf, about 20% of the total primary 

 production is decomposed by the bottom microflora. 



The bottom sediments of the slopes are also characterized by rather 

 intensive metabolism of their microflora: up to 40 yg Op/day, or 30-60 g 

 02/g of sediment. The intensive metabolism of the microflora in the 

 sediment on the slopes is a result of the high rates of sediments 

 accumulation and the rapid delivery of fresh organic matter from the shelf 

 as the upper layer of sediment flows down the slope. 



270 



