Microbial autotrophic and heterotrophic eucaryotes in Antarctic waters: relationships between biomass and chlorophyll, adenosine triphosphate and particulate organic carbon

Abstract

M~croscopical examination of near-surface eucaryotic microbial populations in circumcontinental waters of Antarctica indicated that nanoplankton ((20 btm diameter) dominated in regions with low chlorophyll concentrations ( 20 pm diameter) was generally less significant. The variation in phytoplankton biomass was the result primarily of changes in cell density of pennate diatoms in the East Wind Drift, and of centric diatoms in the Weddell Sea and the Scotia Ridge region. Autotrophic and heterotrophic carbon as determined by microscopical analysis were compared with data for total particulate carbon, chlorophyll a, and adenosine triphosphate. Estimates for the C:chl ratio of autotrophs increased with decreasing concentrations of chlorophyll a, with mean values of 46 in bloom waters and 144 in 'blue water'. A C:ATP ratio for heterotrophic nanoplankton was estimated to be about 100, while that for heterotrophic microplankton may be lower. Algorithms, incorporating concentrations of chlorophyll a and ATP, are described which allow estimates of autotrophc and heterotrophic microbial biomass.