Microbial colonization of copepod body surfaces and chitin degradation in the sea

Abstract

Next to cellulose, chitin (composed of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine sugar units) is the most frequently occurring biopolymer in nature. Among the most common sources of chitin in the marine environment are copepods and the casings of their fecal pellets. During the mineralization of chitin by microorganisms, which occurs chiefly by means of exoenzymes, nitrogen and carbon are returned to the nutrient cycle. In this study, the microbial colonization of the moults (exuviae), carcasses and fecal pellets ofTisbe holothuriae Humes (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) was examined in the laboratory. Results obtained with DAPI staining indicated that a succession of microorganisms from rodshaped bacteria and cocci to starlike aggregates took place, followed by the yeastlike fungusAureobasidium pullulans (de Bary) Arnaud. No differences were noted between moults from various developmental stages, from nauplius to adult. The ventral sides and extremities of exuviae and carcasses were more rapidly colonized than other parts of the bodies. The casings of fecal pellets were frequently surrounded by bacteria with fimbriae or slime threads. In situ studies of chitin degradation (practical grade chitin from crustacean shells) with the mesh bag technique showed that about 90% of the original substance was lost after 3 months exposure in seawater at temperatures between 10 and 18°C. Chitinase activity was measured in the water at two stations near Helgoland, an island in the North Sea. A higher exoenzymatic activity was found in the rocky intertidal zone, compared to the Station Cable Buoy located between the main and Düne island. These values correspond to the higher bacteria numbers (cfu ml−1) found in the rocky intertidal: 10 to 100× greater than those found at the Cable Buoy Station.