Alteration of organic matter during infaunal polychaete gut passage and links to sediment organic geochemistry. Part II: Fatty acids and aldoses

Fatty acid suites in sediments from faunated microcosms showed greater proportions of saturated fatty acids and bacterial markers than those from afaunal controls. Aldose suite alterations were similar in faunated microcosms and afaunal controls, however the impact of faunal gut passage on sedimentary aldose compositions may be observable over longer timescales. Therefore this study provides direct evidence that polychaete gut passage influences OM composition both through taxon-specific selective assimilation and retention in polychaete tissues, and also through interactions with the microbial community.