Abstract
A newly developed method was employed for separately extracting carbonate- and noncarbonate-assciated lipids. The sample examined was a lime mud from the inner Great Barrier Reef. Unsaturated n-fatty acids and phytol were enriched in the carbonate fraction, indicating that the carbonate-associated organic matter was derived primarily from marine algae. In contrast, saturated n-fatty acids, n-heptadecane, labdane and C25:1 highly branched isoprenoid alkene were enriched in the noncarbonate fraction, indicating that the source of the noncarbonate-associated organic matter includes higher plants and diatoms. Iso-and anteiso-fatty acids of bacterial origin occurred both in the carbonate and noncarbonate fractions. The method used in this study was unsuccessful for the separate determination of sterols. A portion of the carbonate-associated sterols was presumably recovered in the noncarbonate fraction.
