Transfer of bacterial production based on labile carbon to higher trophic levels in an oligotrophic pelagic system

Abstract

Additions of labile organic carbon (C) enhanced bacterial production (BP) and were associated with increases in crustacean zooplankton and planktivorous fish biomasses. This was shown in a mesocosm experiment where we traced the contribution of BP to zooplankton and fish using stable isotopes and labile glucose-C as a biomarker. BP increased with glucose-C addition, and all zooplankton and fish incorporated some glucose-C. However, the effect of labile-C addition on zooplankton was taxa-dependant, as although cladocerans incorporated the most labile-C, increased BP did not affect cladoceran biomass. Instead, calanoid copepod biomass increased with glucose addition. This suggests that the ability to selectively graze on high quality food, such as bacterial grazing protists capable of trophic upgrading, had a stronger positive effect on calanoid copepods biomass than unselective grazing on bacteria and protists had on cladoceran biomass. Higher BP was associated with increased survival and population growth of young-of-the-year perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) when stocked at high densities, which suggested that BP had a density-dependant positive effect on fish growth.