PLUTONIUM CHEMISTRY OF THE OCEAN 33 



Present Conditions in the Ocean 33 



Chemical and Radioactive Properties 35 



FACTORS GOVERNING THE COMPOSITION 

 OF SEAWATER BELOW THE POLAR ICE COVER 35 



PARTICULATE FLUXES IN THE OCEAN 36 



DETERMINATION OF THE EXCHANGE OF GASES 

 BETWEEN THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE SEA 39 



DETERMINATION OF THE FLUXES OF ORGANIC 

 MATTER IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 41 



DETERMINATION OF THE FLUXES OF 

 NOBLE GASES, INCLUDING RADON, AND 

 LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT ORGANIC GASES 

 FROM THE SEDIMENTS INTO THE 

 OVERLYING WATERS 42 



Session C 



Impact of Life Processes 



on tlie Chemistry of the Ocean 



Dr. Francis A. Richards, Discussion Leader 



INTRODUCTION 45 



IMPACT OF LIFE PROCESSES ON THE 

 MAJOR CONSTITUENTS 47 



IMPACT OF LIFE PROCESSES ON HEAVY METALS 49 



Contemporary State of Knowledge 49 



Processes, Rates, and Mechanisms 50 



ModeUng 52 



Future Efforts 52 



IMPACT OF ORGANISMS ON 

 MARINE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 52 



LIFE PROCESSES AND NUTRIENT SUBSTANCES 55 



Nutrients and Dissolved Gases 57 



vii 



