Selective preservation and origin of petroleum-forming aquatic kerogen

Studies of a marine algal sapropel from Mangrove Lake, Bermuda, by 13C NMR and stable carbon isotopic methods show that precursors of aquatic kerogen (insoluble, macromolecular, paraffinic humic substances) are primary components of algae and possibly associated bacteria and that these substances survive microbial decomposition and are selectively preserved during early diagenesis. ?? 1983 Nature Publishing Group.