a variety of reactions. The following reactions are the primary ways in which organic matter is remineralised, in them general organic matter (OM) is often represented by the shorthand: . Aerobic respiration Aerobic respiration is the most preferred remineralisation reaction due to its high energy yield. Although oxygen is quickly depleted in the sediments and is generally exhausted centimeters from the sediment-water interface. Anaerobic respiration In instances in which the environment is suboxic or anoxic, organisms will prefer to utilize denitrification to remineralise organic matter as it provides the second largest amount of energy. In depths below where denitrification is favored, reactions such as Manganese Reduction, Iron Reduction, Sulfate Reduction, Methane Reduction (also known as Methanogenesis), become favored respectively. This favorability is governed by Gibbs Free Energy (ΔG). In a water body, sediment seabed, or soil, the sorting of these chemical reactions with depth in order of energy provided is called a redox gradient. Redox zonation Redox zonation refers to how the processes that transfer terminal electrons as a result of organic matter degradation vary depending on time and space. Certain reactions will be favored over others due to their energy yield as detailed in the energy acceptor cascade detailed above. In oxic conditions, in which oxygen is readily available, aerobic respiration will be favored due to its high energy yield. Once the use of oxygen through respiration exceeds the input of oxygen due to bioturbation and diffusion, the environment will become anoxic and organic matter will be broken down via other means, such as denitrification and manganese reduction. Remineralisation in the open ocean In most open ocean ecosystems only a small fraction of organic matter reaches the seafloor. Biological activity in the photic zone of most water bodies tends to recycle material so well that only a small fraction of organic matter ever sinks out of that top photosynthetic layer. Remineralisation within this top layer occurs rapidly and due to the higher concentrations of organisms and the availability of light, those remineralised nutrients are often taken up by autotrophs just as rapidly as they are released. What fraction does escape varies depending on the location of interest. For example, in the North Sea, values of carbon deposition are ~1% of primary production while that value is <0.5% in the open oceans on average. Therefore, most of nutrients remain in the water column, recycled by the biota. Heterotrophic organisms will