Bulk chemical characterization of particulate material from the Jade Bay,Lower Saxonian Wadden Sea

Data on the bulk chemical composition (C, N, P, S, total chlorophyll) of particulate matter were obtained on five occasions over one or two tidal cycles in the Jade Bay, Lower Saxonian Wadden Sea. Sampling intervals were usually one hour. The results show pronounced short-term variability for all parameters which is controlled to a large extent by physical processes such as erosion of surficial sediments at high current speeds and sedimentation at slack water. Contributions from living phytoplankton biomass were low while C∶N ratios indicate a high abundance of microheterotrophs. Organic phosphorus accounted for 36% of total P, exchangeable ammonium made up 1.9% of total nitrogen on average.