Abundance and structural diversity of bacteriohopanepolyols in suspended particulate matter along a river to ocean transect

The concentration and structural diversity of a suite of bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) was measured in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from six stations along a river–ocean transect off the Pacific coast of Panama. Riverine SPM contained BHPs diagnostic of soil input consistent with a terrigenous source. The concentration of BHPs was 10 times greater in riverine SPM than marine SPM demonstrating that terrigenous OM exported to marine sediments could provide a significant contribution to the marine sedimentary hopanoid inventory. Given the rich structural diversity of BHPs in terrigenous SPM, interpretations of the sedimentary record of hopanoids in coastal marine settings must resolve inputs from marine pelagic and terrigenous sources.