Fine organic particles in a sandy beach system (Puck Bay, Baltic Sea)

A total of over 550 samples of particulate organic matter (POM) were obtained from swash and groundwater samples taken on a monthly basis from seven localities on the sandy shores of Puck Bay in 2002 and 2003. Sandy sediment cores from the swash zone were collected to assess the amount of POM in the pore waters. The mean annual concentrations of POM varied between localities from 20 to 500 mg in groundwater and from 6 to 200 mg dm−3 in swash water. The carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio in suspended matter was always higher in groundwater (annual mean 12) than in swash water (annual mean 7). The C/N ratio indicates a local, algal origin of POM in the shallow coastal zone.