Labile dissolved organic carbon and water temperature as regulators of heterotrophic bacterial activity and production in the lakes of Sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Abstract

The objectives of the 3 year study were to determine the relationship between bacterial numbers and phytoplankton standing crops (chlorophyll a) in sub-antarctic Marion Island lakes (33) and to determine the relative importance of labile dissolved organic carbon and water temperature as regulators of heterotrophic bacterial activity and production. Bacterial activity (the incorporation and respiration rates of 14C-labelled substrates) and production (the rate of [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA) were measured in oligotrophic Lava Lake and Gentoo Lake, an elephant seal wallow. Samples were incubated under ambient conditions as well as at increased temperature and with additions of labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Bacterial numbers ranged from 2.13 × 105 cell ml−1 to 15.17 × 106 cells ml−1 in the lake survey. The chlorophyll range was 0.18 to >75 μg 1−1. Bacterial numbers were not correlated to chlorophyll concentration in waters where the chlorophyll content was ≤ 5 μg 1−1 but were correlated in waters with larger algal contents. Heterotrophic bacterial activity and production, which were similar to rates recorded for equivalent lower latitude systems, were higher in Gentoo Lake than in Lava Lake. As a result of qualitative and quantitative differences in the DOC pools, DOC was the stronger regulator of bacterial activity and production in Lava Lake, while temperature was the stronger factor in Gentoo Lake.