Zhang, Cong2011-12-142011-12-142011-11https://hdl.handle.net/11299/119041University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. November 2011. Major: Chemistry. Advisor: Josef P. Werne. 1 computer file (PDF); v, 57 pages, appendices I-II.Organic matter (OM) sulfurization is a significant sink for reduced sulfur in marine sediments. The formation of organic sulfur compounds (OSC) during diagenesis has been demonstrated to enhance biomarker preservation, thus affecting molecularly based paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Recent studies have focused on the pathways of OM sulfurization and suggested intermolecular polysulfide incorporation might be an important pathway of formation. This study analyzed several sediment cores from Florida Bay to determine whether OSC were formed in recent sediments. Polysulfide cleavage was performed on samples from different depths and sites within Florida Bay in order to break the S-S cross-linked bonds, if present. The results confirmed that organic sulfur compounds formed in shallow sediment, and that they had different profiles with depth among cores.en-USChemistryThesis or Dissertation