Amino Acids in Deep-Sea Water

Approximately 17 different amino acids in acid hydrolyzates of dissolved organic material in sea water to depths of 3500 meters from the central Gulf of Mexico have been identified by ion-exchange resin chromatography. They are glutamic acid, lysine, glycine, aspartic acid, serine, alanine, leucine, valine plus cystine, isoleucine, ornithine, methionine sulfoxide, threonine, tyrosine and phenylalanine, histidine, arginine, proline, and methionine. The results indicate that the dissolved organic material in deep-sea water may make an important contribution to the organic budget of the sea.