Dissolved Free Amino Acids in Southern California Coastal Water1

The dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) in seawater samples from an inshore area near a large submarine sewage outfall and from an inshore area relatively remote from any major outfall were compared. At both sites, surface waters contained DFAA levels of about 115 µ g/liter (ca. 1 µ mole/liter), about twice the value found in surface samples from other parts of the world. Bottom waters contained more DFAA than surface waters at both sites, with significantly more (290 µ g or ca. 2.4 µ moles/liter) near an outfall than away from one (170 µ g or ca. 1.6 µ moles/liter). Interstitial waters near the outfall contained about 350 µ g or ca. 3.0 µ moles DFAA/liter. The composition of the DFAA in all samples was similar to that obtained by other workers elsewhere.