Controls on marine carbon fluxes via phytoplankton-microzooplankton interactions in continental shelf waters. Progress report
The project is an in-depth evaluation of the phytoplankton-microzooplankton trophic link. The principal goals of the project remain as originally proposed: (1) Impact of grazing by phagotrophic microzooplankton on phytoplankton, particularly on phototrophic cells <5 {mu}m in size, which are not effectively grazed by macrozooplankton. (2) Impact of grazing by phagotrophic microzooplankton on bacterioplankton. (3) Taxon-specific growth rates of phytoplankton in situ, particularly of <5 {mu}m sized cells, as they are affected by phagotrophy rates. The authors are developing protocols for making quantitative estimates of grazing by phagotrophic protists on ultraphytoplankton, and for determining the intrinsic reproductive rates of phytoplankton species. They have also begun a series of experiments, testing and utilizing these methods, evaluating the grazing impact of flagellates and ciliates on phytoplankton species of different sizes and taxonomic affinities. A series of preliminary experiments in coastal waters adjacent to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology have provided a coastal benchmark. They participated in a preliminary cruise in May, 1993 to the OMP field site off Cape Hatteras. Their purpose was to obtain background information on heterotrophic microbial distributional patterns in this region and to measure rates of protist bacterivory.
- Research Organization:
- Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States). Coll. of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG06-92ER61423; FG06-92ER61422
- OSTI ID:
- 10146514
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/61423--2; ON: DE94010781; BR: KP0202000; KP0202000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Controls on marine carbon fluxes via phytoplankton-mesoplankton interactions in continental shelf waters. Progress report, December 1992
Controls on marine carbon fluxes via phytoplankton-mesoplankton interactions in continental shelf waters