Abstract
The content of organic matter was determined in intertidal and subtidal sediments using different methods. The methods used measured the readily oxidizable organic matter (R.O.O.M.), the loss on ignition at two temperatures, 450°C (VS450) and 600°C (VS600), and the fraction oxidized by hydrogen peroxide (P.D.F.). The methods removed progressively more organic matter from a given sediment in the order R.O.O.M. < P.D.F. < VS450 < VS600. The differences between the values obtained by each method varied with the content of organic matter and were greatest at the lowest concentrations of organic matter. The relative proportions of labile and refractory organic matter varied depending upon the source of the sediment.