Abstract
We investigated whether phosphatase activity (PA), measured with p-nitrophenylphosphate as a substrate, is coupled to nutrient concentrations and the biomass of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in two tropical coastal lagoons (Imboassica and Cabiunas Lagoons, Brazil). We also evaluated whether the supply of inorganic phosphorus to plankton communities is satisfied by the hydrolysis of organic compounds catalysed by PA. In Imboassica Lagoon, hydrolysis of organic phosphate by PA was a significant source of inorganic phosphorus for the plankton, and PA was correlated with phytoplankton biomass. In Cabiunas Lagoon, PA was not a significant source of inorganic phosphate for phytoplankton, and variations in PA were associated with changes in bacterial biomass. Differences between these lagoons were attributed to differences in the quality of dissolved organic matter.
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