EICQ values reflect the total apparent perceived carbon quality as a function of

hydrolytic and oxidative enzyme activities (Table 5-3). WCA-3A benthic dry treatments

were significantly greater than all the ENP-TS benthic dry treatments as were the wet

treatments, although only in 50% of the cases. The effect of drying on the sediments was

most apparent in the WCA-3A cores in both layers with significantly greater EICQ

values in the dry treatments in 5 of 6 cases, compared to the wet. However, EICQ values

were not generally significantly different between the treatments in the ENP-TS cores

until 12 weeks.

Cumulative Activities

 Cumulative enzyme activities were interpreted in two fashions. The slopes of the

log regressions of each period's cumulative enzyme activity (CES) provide insight into

the rate of total change occurring in each treatment over the total incubation period

(Table 5-4). Cumulative enzyme activity was calculated according to the trapezoidal rule

for integrating the cumulative activity under a curve. Secondly, net cumulative enzyme

activity-day (CEA) was calculated by the cumulative integrated enzyme activity

calculated using the trapezoidal rule for each time period divided by the number of days

(Figure 5-1). While CES measures the net rate of changes of a particular treatment over

the time period, CEA measures the average accumulation of enzyme activity per day.

 BGL CES values exhibited the greatest changes over time in the WCA-3A cores in

both the benthic and 0 to -10 cm layers (Table 5-4). There was not a consistent trend in

rates of change among the treatments. BGL slopes were generally lower than that of the

other enzymes, reflecting smaller net changes over time. CEA exhibited greater values

associated with the WCA-3A cores and wet treatments within each site in the benthic