Abstract
The larvacean Oikopleura dioica Fol was fed 3H-labeled natural assemblages of marine bacterioplankton. Grazing rates ranged from 100 ml day-1 individual-1 and were highly dependent onlarvacean body size. These rates were combined with estimates of abundance of O. dioica in large floating enclosures with semi-natural populations (Controlled Ecosystems Populations Experiment, CEPEX) to determine the impact of the larvacean on the bacterial populations and to estimate the amount of bacteria ingested by the larvaceans. Apparently, O. dioica has minimal influence on the population dynamics of the free-living bacteria, although bacteria may form a substantial portion of the larvacean's diet.
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