Characterization of lithogenic and biogenic zones and natural enrichment of nickel in sediments of the Terminos Lagoon, Campeche, Mexico

Abstract The Terminos Lagoon is located in the south-eastern Gulf of Mexico and is ecologically and economically important due to its biological diversity of valuable fish and wildlife resources. It is adjacent to the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico, which is well known for its intensive production of fuel and gas. Therefore, the aims of this study are to characterize zones that are influenced by biogenic and/or lithogenic processes, based on the geochemistry of specific chemical elements. For this study, elements such as Al, As, Ca, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn were determined in surface sediments. The V:Ni ratio does not indicate the presence of fuel in the sediment. The enrichments of Ni and Ca were quantified, and their distributions were found to be indicative of lithogenic influence in the western area of the lagoon at Boca del Carmen and predominantly biogenic influence at the eastern area of the lagoon in Puerto Real.