Production of heterotrophic bacteria inhabiting macroscopic organic aggregates (marine snow) from surface waters
Macroscopic detrital aggregates, known as marine snow, are a ubiquitous and abundant component of the marine pelagic zone. Descriptions of microbial communities occurring at densities 2-5 orders of magnitude higher on these particles than in the surrounding seawater have led to the suggestion that marine snow may be a site of intense heterotrophic activity. The authors tested this hypothesis using incorporation of (/sup 3/H)thymidine into macromolecules as a measure of bacterial growth occurring on marine snow from oceanic waters in the North Atlantic and from neritic waters off southern California. Abundances of marine snow ranged from 0.1 to 4.3 aggregates per liter. However, only 0.1-4% ration per cell on aggregates was generally equal to or lower than that of bacteria found free-living in the surrounding seawater, indicating that attached bacteria were not growing more rapidly than free-living bacteria. Bacteria inhabiting aggregates were up to 25 times larger than free-living forms.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5845016
- Journal Information:
- Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States), Vol. 31:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BACTERIA
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PRODUCTIVITY
DETRITUS
SURFACE WATERS
THYMIDINE
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
AZINES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
520101* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- Radiometric Techniques- (-1989)