Estimates of bacterial production and mortality in the Ebro river (Spain)

Abstract

In the terminal part of the Ebro river, bacterial production and mortality have been studied. Bacterial production was estimated by the thymidine incorporation method and from estimates of growth rate. Bacterial mortality and grazing were studied using differential filtration of a 3H‐labelled population. Production was estimated as about 0.15 times 109 bacteria/l/h and total mortality was about 0.016/h. Grazing accounted for about 56% of the total mortality processes.