Heterotrophic bacterial production: Relationships to biological and abiological factors in estuarine environments

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6369544

Koepfler, E T

Ecotoxicological effects of creosote contamination on benthic bacterial communities in the Elizabeth River, Virginia were investigated using both structural an functional microbial parameters. Results indicated that cell specific and total heterotrophic bacterial production parameters were depressed in a dose-dependent manner with increasing sediment PAH concentrations. Toxicity effects upon production were modified by temporal trends associated with temperature as well as spatial sediment characteristics. Of the parameters employed, the tritiated thymidine production assay was found to be the most sensitive for detection of ecotoxicological effects. Bacterial abundance and production were examined during a destratification event in the lower James River, Virginia. Bacterial abundance, although significantly different between stations, did not change over the study. Bacterial production ({sup 3}H-Tdr incorporation) in surface waters was significantly less during the mixed period 187 {mu}g C{center dot}1-1{center dot} d{sup {minus}1} compared to the most stratified state (324{mu}g C{center dot}1-1{center dot} d{sup {minus}1}). Correlations between bacteria and chlorophyll were diminished during the mixed period. Total and flagellate specific grazing rates upon bacteria were reduced during the onset of destratification. Relationships between bacterial and nutrient parameters also indicated a strong influence of destratification. These results indicate that destratification changes trophic interactions within the microbial loop, which are not necessarily reflected in temporal patterns of bacterial abundance. Bacterioplankton production, and ammonium assimilation and remineralization were examined between April and August 1988 in the lower York River, Va.

• Research Organization: College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6369544
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540311 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (1990-)
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
AZINES
BACTERIA
BENTHOS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHLOROPHYLL
CREOSOTE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FEDERAL REGION III
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MICROORGANISMS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYTOCHROMES
PIGMENTS
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
RIVERS
SENSITIVITY
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
THYMIDINE
TOXICITY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
USA
VIRGINIA
WATER POLLUTION