The rates and pathways of labile organic matter degradation significantly affect the cycling of organic carbon and nutrients in coastal sediments. This study, measured degradation rate constants of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids by incubating radiolabeled 1- 1 4 C-palmitic (16:0) and 1- 1 4 C-oleic (18:1) acids and an unlabeled plankton mixture in oxic and anoxic sediments from Long Island Sound under laboratory-controlled conditions. The incubation results clearly showed that fatty acids degrade through multiple pathways in both oxic and anoxic sediments.