Heterotrophic Bacterial Abundance Research Articles

Factors Controlling Extremely Productive Heterotrophic Bacterial Communities in Shallow Soda Pools

Dilute soda lakes are among the world's most productive environments and are usually dominated by dense blooms of cyanobacteria. Up to now, there has been little information available on heterotrophic bacterial abundance, production, and their controlling factors in these ecosystems. In the present study the main environmental factors responsible for the control of the heterotrophic bacterial community in five shallow soda pools in Eastern Austria were investigated during an annual cycle. Extremely high cyanobacterial numbers and heterotrophic bacterial numbers up to 307 x 10(9) L(-1) and 268 x 10(9) L(-1) were found, respectively. Bacterial secondary production rates up to 738 micro g C L(-1) h(-1) and specific growth rates up to 1.65 h(-1) were recorded in summer and represent the highest reported values for natural aquatic ecosystems. The combination of dense phytoplankton blooms, high temperature, high turbidity, and nutrient concentration due to evaporation is supposed to enable the development of such extremely productive microbial populations. By principal component analysis containing the data set of all five investigated pools, two factors were extracted which explained 62.5% of the total variation of the systems. The first factor could be interpreted as a turbidity factor; the second was assigned to as concentration factor. From this it was deduced that bacterial and cyanobacterial abundance were mainly controlled by wind-induced sediment resuspension and turbidity stabilized by the high pH and salinity and less by evaporative concentration of salinity and dissolved organic carbon. Bacterial production was clustered with temperature in factor 3, showing that bacterial growth was mainly controlled by temperature. The concept of describing the turbid water columns of the shallow soda pools as "fluid sediment" is discussed.

Plankton respiration in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean

Concurrent measurements of dark community respiration (DCR), gross production (GP), size fractionated primary production ( 14C PP), nitrogen uptake, nutrients, chlorophyll a concentration, and heterotrophic and autotrophic bacterial abundance were collected from the upper 200 m of a latitudinal (32°S–48°N) transect in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean during May/June 1998. The mean mixed layer respiration rate was 2.5±2.1 mmol O 2 m −3 d −1 ( n=119) for the whole transect, 2.2±1.1 mmol O 2 m −3 d −1 ( n=32) in areas where chlorophyll a was <0.5 mg m −3 and 1.5±0.7 mmol O 2 m −3 d −1 ( n=10) where chlorophyll a was <0.2 mg m −3. These values lie within the range of published data collected in comparable waters, they co-vary with indicators of heterotrophic and autotrophic biomass (heterotrophic bacterial abundance, chlorophyll a concentration, beam attenuation and particulate organic carbon concentration) and they can be reconciled with accepted estimates of total respiratory activity. The mean and median respiratory quotient (RQ), calculated as the ratio of dissolved inorganic carbon production to dissolved oxygen consumption, was 0.8 ( n=11). At the time of the study, plankton community respiration exceeded GP in the picoautotroph dominated oligotrophic regions (Eastern Tropical Atlantic [15.5°S–14.2°N] and North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre [21.5–42.5°N]), which amounted to 50% of the stations sampled along the 12,100 km transect. These regions also exhibited high heterotrophic: autotrophic biomass ratios, higher turnover rates of phytoplankton than of bacteria and low f ratios. However, the carbon supply mechanisms required to sustain the rates of respiration higher than GP could not be fully quantified. Future research should aim to determine the temporal balance of respiration and GP together with substrate supply mechanisms in these ocean regions.

Seasonal and interannual trends in heterotrophic bacterial processes between 1995 and 1999 in the subarctic NE Pacific

Abstract Heterotrophic bacterial abundance and productivity were measured in the euphotic zone over 4 years during winter, late spring, and late summer in the subarctic NE Pacific from September 1995 to February 1999. Sampling took place during 11 cruises at five hydrographic stations spaced along the east/west line- P transect from slope waters at P4 (1200 m depth) to the open-ocean waters at Ocean Station Papa (OSP) (4250 m depth). P4 exhibits a spring bloom and summer nutrient depletion, whereas OSP exhibits no spring bloom, consistently replete macronutrients, and iron limitation of primary productivity. Bacterial biomass, derived from cell abundance (assuming 10 fg C cell −1 ), ranged from an average of ∼6 μg C l −1 in the winter to 10 and 14 μg C l −1 in the spring and summer all along line- P . Factors for converting the uptake of radiolabeled substrate to bacterial productivity were determined empirically from dilution experiments. The empirically derived conversion factors for both thymidine and leucine were positively correlated to in situ cell abundance. Bacterial productivity estimated from [ 3 H]-thymidine and [ 14 C]-leucine incorporation rates was lowest in the winter (∼0.2 μg C l −1 d −1 ), with little spatial variability. Bacterial productivity increased 4–10-fold in spring at P4 compared with 0–4-fold at the more oceanic stations. Between 1995 and 1998, the average summer bacterial abundance all along line- P decreased by ∼50%, while bacterial productivity decreased by ∼90%. These decreases reduced summer bacterial productivity and growth rates to nearly winter levels in both the open-ocean and slope waters during late summer 1998. The average bacterial productivity at OSP is similar to other open-ocean regions while bacterial abundance is slightly higher providing for relatively lower growth rates and inferring lower associated loss rates.

Plankton community respiration during a coccolithophore bloom

Abstract Plankton dark community respiration (DCR), gross production (GP), bacterial production, protozoan herbivory, and phytoplankton, microzooplankton and heterotrophic bacterial abundance were measured during a bloom of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. The study, which was conducted in the northern North Sea during June 1999, included a spatial survey and a 6-day Lagrangian time series informed by a sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer-release experiment. E. huxleyi abundance in surface waters ranged from 380 to 3000 cells ml−1, while DCR varied between 2 and 4 mmol O2 m−3 d−1 and GP between 2 and 5 mmol O2 m−3 d−1. Euphotic zone integrated DCR and GP were in approximate balance, with a mean (±SD) P:R ratio of 0.9±0.4 (n=9). However, highest GP occurred at the surface alongside maxima of E. huxleyi, whereas highest rates of DCR occurred at depths of 25–30 m associated with maxima in chlorophyll a and bacterial biomass. DCR was positively correlated with bacterial biomass, microzooplankton biomass, attenuance, particulate organic carbon, and chlorophyll a concentration; and negatively correlated with apparent oxygen utilisation. DCR was not correlated with in situ temperature, dissolved organic carbon concentration or E. huxleyi abundance. A∼100 h incubation of 0.8 μm filtered seawater enabled the estimation of a bacterial respiratory quotient (RQ) and growth efficiency (BGE) from the slopes of the linear regressions of the decrease in dissolved oxygen and increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and bacterial carbon with time. During this experiment the bacterial RQ was 0.69 and the growth efficiency was 18%. This measured BGE was used in comparison with literature values to apportion DCR to that associated with bacterial (13–71%), microzooplankton (10–50%), and algal (11–28%) activity. This accounting exercise compared well with measured DCR (to within ±50%), the exact calculation being highly dependent on the BGE used.

Response of marine bacterial community composition to iron additions in three iron‐limited regimes

In high‐nutrient low‐chlorophyll (HNLC) regimes, iron additions consistently result in primary productivity increases, and the phytoplankton community shifts from small species toward large diatoms. Heterotrophic bacterial production and abundance also increase in HNLC Fe addition experiments, but whether changes in bacterioplankton community composition also occur when Fe is added is unknown. We used trace metal clean shipboard incubation experiments, and molecular biological methods to examine this question in three Fe‐limited environments: the subarctic Pacific, the subantarctic Southern Ocean, and the California coastal upwelling region. After Fe additions and subsequent phytoplankton community shifts, changes in bacterial community composition were examined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction—amplified bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Responsive bacterial phylotypes in either +Fe or control treatments were classified using phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences. In general, iron‐mediated changes in bacterial communities in all three environments were surprisingly minor compared to the changes in phytoplankton community composition. Responsive phylotypes were mostly γ‐proteobacteria in the subarctic and California HNLC areas, but no changes were noted in the subantarctic experiments. Although bacterial growth and biomass are closely linked to phytoplankton‐derived carbon supplies, our results suggest that on the time scale of our experiments (4–5 d), species composition of algal and bacterial communities can be decoupled in Fe‐limited waters.

Heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the Arabian Sea:

Heterotrophic bacterial abundance and productivity were measured during ve and four cruises, respectively, in the northwest Arabian Sea as part of the US JGOFS Process Study, which provided a new view of seasonal bacterial dynamics in that part of the basin in#uenced by monsoonal forcing. In this paper, surface layer data are used to address two questions concerning the in#uence of the monsoon cycle on bacterial dynamics: (1) Is there a bacterial bloom in the SW Monsoon? and (2) Is bacterial production low during the oligotrophic Spring Intermonsoon? An extensive comparison of epi#uorescence microscopy and #ow cytometry, unprecedented at this scale, detected essentially the same heterotrophic bacterial populations and distributions, with some between-cruise di!erences. Use of the two methods allowed us to extend our observations in space and time. Bacterial productivity, both in the surface layer and integrated over the euphotic zone, was elevated less than 2-fold during the Southwest Monsoon. Levels of bacterial abundance and production were low during the Northeast Monsoon, then increased in March during the Spring Intermonsoon. There was some stimulation of abundance or production inshore in response to coastal upwelling. In general, the basin was enriched in bacterial biomass '510 cells l throughout the year, relative to other tropical regimes, presumably in response to overall high PP and DOC levels. Seasonally uniformDOC levels may be regulated in part by intense bacterial utilization rates, but also re #ect seasonal consistency in PP. 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Effects of a Genetically Engineered Insect Virus and a Growth-Regulating Insecticide on Microbial Communities in Aquatic Microcosms

The effects of a genetically engineered insect baculovirus on indigenous aquatic microbial communities were determined in closed, recirculating aquatic microcosms, and compared with the effects of a natural strain of the virus and of a growth-regulating insecticide, Dimilin. The recombinant virus was a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) of the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Cf)) with a lacZ marker gene inserted into the egt region of the CfNPV. The natural virus was Ireland strain CfNPV. Microbial measurement endpoints included decomposition activity (mass loss of organic material), respiration on two different substrates (O2 consumption), heterotrophic bacterial abundance (plate counts), and microbial community metabolic profiles (carbon source utilization patterns in Biolog GN microplates). Viral DNA of both the natural strain and the recombinant viruses, detected by polymerase chain reaction techniques, settled out of the microcosm water and accumulated on bottom substrates within 3 days of the microcosm inoculations. The viral DNA persisted in bottom substrates for the duration of the 21-day experimental period, although there was some evidence that the recombinant virus was less stable than the natural strain in particulate organic matter. No significant changes in microbial decomposition or respiration activity, bacterial abundance, or average metabolic responses were detected by a time trend analysis in microcosms inoculated with either the lacZ recombinant virus or the natural Ireland strain CfNPV. Significant effects on microbial decomposition and respiration activity were detected in microcosms treated with the growth-regulating insecticide at, and above, the expected environmental concentrations. Despite significant effects on microbial community functional attributes in Dimilin-treated microcosms, there were no detectable changes in community structure in terms of metabolic profiles or bacterial abundance.

The influence of macrophyte beds on plankton communities and their export from fluvial lakes in the St Lawrence River

1. To determine the influence of macrophyte beds on plankton abundance within fluvial lakes of the St Lawrence River, planktonic components (macrozooplankton, heterotrophic bacteria, and phytoplankton as chlorophyll‐a [Chl‐a]) were sampled in Lake St Francis and Lake St Pierre during summer 1998. We tested the hypothesis that the abundance of planktonic components was higher within macrophyte beds in comparison to the more rapidly flushed open water areas of the fluvial lakes. 2. The large cross channel variation in zooplankton biomass was indeed correlated with the presence of dense beds of submerged macrophytes. Total macrozooplankton biomass was nine‐fold greater within the beds (mean=180 μg L−1 dry mass) than in either the open water or areas with only sparse vegetation (mean=20 μg L−1 dry mass). 3. Chl‐a and heterotrophic bacterial abundance were also higher in the beds, but only slightly so. There was no difference in total phosphorus or dissolved organic carbon concentrations between areas of dense vegetation, sparse vegetation or open water. 4. Macrophyte beds on the margins of the fluvial lakes allow the development of high planktonic abundance relative to the fast flowing central channel. Macrozooplankton biomass was much higher at the outflows of the lakes (∼50 μg L−1 dry mass) in comparison to the inflows (&lt;20 μg L−1 dry mass). The increase is due to the transfer of organisms from submerged macrophyte beds into the central channel in the downstream quarter of the two lakes where the marginal littoral waters enter central channel waters. 5. Along rivers, shallow fluvial lakes appear to act as sources of plankton which is exported downstream during years of extensive littoral macrophyte development.

Physical-biological coupling in the Algerian Basin (SW Mediterranean): Influence of mesoscale instabilities on the biomass and production of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton

The biomass and production of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton was investigated in relation to the mesoscale structures found in the Algerian Current during the ALGERS'96 cruise (October 1996). Biological determinations were carried out in three transects between 0° and 2°E aimed at crossing a so-called event, formed by a coastal anticyclonic eddy associated with an offshore cyclonic eddy to the west. The concentration of chlorophyll a (Chl) was maximum (>1.2 mg m −3) within the cyclonic eddy and at the frontal zones between the Modified Atlantic Water (MAW) of the Algerian Current and the Mediterranean waters further north. Chl (total and >2 μm) was significantly correlated with proxies of nutrient flux into the upper layers. Autotrophic picoplankton and heterotrophic bacterial abundance and production presented clear differences between MAW and Mediterranean water, with higher values at those stations under the influence of the Algerian Current. In general, greater differences were observed in production than in biomass variables. The photosynthetic parameters (derived from P–E relationships) and integrated primary production (range 189–645 mg m −2 d −1) responded greatly to the different hydrological conditions. The mesoscale phenomena inducing fertilization caused a 2 to 3-fold increase in primary production rates. The relatively high values found within the cyclonic eddy suggest that, although short-lived in comparison with anticyclonic eddies, these eddies may produce episodic increases of biological production not accounted for in previous surveys in the region.

Response of Antarctic Soil Bacterial Assemblages to Contamination by Diesel Fuel and Crude Oil.

The effects of diesel fuel and "Arabian light" crude oil addition on Antarctic bacterial assemblages were studied in four contaminated soils during 1 year in the Terre Adelie land area. Monthly sampling allowed a regular survey of the bacterial changes occurring in the contaminated soils. All samples were analyzed for total bacteria, heterotrophic culturable microbiota, and hydrocarbon-utilizing microbiota. Crude oil contamination induced an initial increase of all bacterial parameters in all contaminated soils. Diesel oil contamination had a more complex effect. Hydrocarbon degrading bacterial abundance increases occurred after diesel oil addition. In contrast, general heterotrophic bacterial abundance could significantly decrease in the same conditions. In all cases the stimulatory effects of oil addition disappeared after several months of contamination.

Consequences of diatom mat erosion for carbohydrate concentrations and heterotrophic bacterial activities in intertidal sediments of the Ems-Dollard estuary

Patches with a diatom mat were compared with adjacent eroded patches on an intertidal flat in the Ems-Dollard estuary. Distinction between patches was made on the basis of chlorophyll- a (chl- a) concentration and relief. Short-term variations and depth distribution were investigated for carbohydrates (water-soluble and water-insoluble carbohydrates), β-glucosidase activity and heterotrophic bacterial production and abundance. The major differences between mat patches and eroded patches were confined to the upper 6 mm. From 6 to 20 mm depth variables in mat patches and eroded patches were roughly comparable, with the exception of the bacterial abundance and β-glucosidase activity. Distinct increases in carbohydrates, bacterial production and abundance during tidal flat exposure were most pronounced in the mat surface layer, but were still detectable in the eroded patches for the different carbohydrate fractions. Concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrates were substantially higher in mats than in eroded patches. This concurred with a much higher bacterial production and abundance in mats than in eroded patches. The β-glucosidase activity in the mat surface was low compared to this activity in eroded patches. In diatom mats, β-glucosidase showed highest activities between 6 and 12 mm, while in eroded patches this maximum occurred at 0–2 mm. Patterns suggest inhibition of the β-glucosidase activity at high concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations and a release of inhibition with declining carbohydrate concentrations. Interestingly, concentrations of water-insoluble carbohydrates (EDTA-extracted carbohydrates) did neither clearly differ between mat patches and eroded patches, nor changed substantially with depth. The observation that water-insoluble carbohydrate-to-chl- a ratios were higher outside the mat layer than in the mat, which has a larger stability than eroded patches, indicates that it is a poor index for sediment erodibility. The same holds true for water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations.

Midsummer plankton development along a large temperate river: the St. Lawrence River

Midsummer planktonic communities were sampled in 1997 along a 425-km reach of the St. Lawrence River between Lake Ontario and Trois-Rivières (Quebec) to describe longitudinal patterns of plankton development. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) quickly declined as water flowed from Lake Ontario into the river. Thereafter, in the reach upstream from Montreal, Chl a was ~1 µg·L-1and total phosphorus (TP) was ~10 µg·L-1. Downstream from Montreal, TP increased to 20-40 µg·L-1and Chl a rose to 2-5 µg·L-1. Although Chl a increased concomitant with TP, phytoplankton may have been light limited at the more turbid downstream stations. Zooplankton biomass decreased from 40 µg dry mass·L-1in Lake Ontario to 16 µg dry mass·L-1at Brockville, 90 km downstream. Zooplankton biomass continued to decline and downstream from Montreal remained &lt;10 µg dry mass·L-1, despite the increased TP and Chl a. Rotifers dominated the zooplankton community, but as in other temperate rivers, total zooplankton biomass was low (&lt;10 µg dry mass·L-1). There was no longitudinal pattern in heterotrophic bacterial or flagellate abundance. A comparison of the inflow and outflow biomass of two fluvial lakes showed the lakes to contribute little to the downstream river plankton during summer.

E‐mail: J.Laybourn‐Parry@nottingham.ac.ukAnnual plankton dynamics in an Antarctic saline lake

Summary1. The plankton dynamics of Ace Lake, a saline, meromictic basin in the Vestfold Hills, eastern Antarctica was studied between December 1995 and February 1997.2. The lake supported two distinct plankton communities; an aerobic microbial community in the upper oxygenated mixolimnion and an anaerobic microbial community in the lower anoxic monimolimnion.3. Phytoplankton development was limited by nitrogen availability. Soluble reactive phosphorus was never limiting. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the mixolimnion ranged between 0.3 and 4.4 μg L−−1 during the study period and a deep chlorophyll maximum persisted throughout the year below the chemo/oxycline.4. Bacterioplankton abundance showed considerable seasonal variation related to light and substrate availability. Autotrophic bacterial abundance ranged between 0.02 and 8.94 × 108 L−−1 and heterotrophic bacterial abundance between 1.26 and 72.8 × 108 L−−1 throughout the water column.5. The mixolimnion phytoplankton was dominated by phytoflagellates, in particular Pyramimonas gelidicola. P. gelidicola remained active for most of the year by virtue of its mixotrophic behaviour. Photosynthetic dinoflagellates occurred during the austral summer, but the entire population encysted for the winter.6. Two communities of heterotrophic flagellates were apparent; a community living in the upper monimolimnion and a community living in the aerobic mixolimnion. Both exhibited different seasonal dynamics.7. The ciliate community was dominated by the autotroph Mesodinium rubrum. The abundance of M. rubrum peaked in summer. A proportion of the population encysted during winter. Only one other ciliate, Euplotes sp., occurred regularly.8. Two species of Metazoa occurred in the mixolimnion; a calanoid copepod (Paralabidocera antarctica) and a rotifer (Notholca sp.). However, there was no evidence of grazing pressure on the microbial community. In common with most other Antarctic lakes, Ace Lake appears to be driven by ‘bottom‐up’ forces.

Major contribution from mesopelagic plankton to heterotrophic metabolism in the upper ocean

Measurements of plankton respiration and heterotrophic bacterial abundance and production were made at seven deep water stations within the upper 500 m of the Gulf of Mexico during the summer of 1995. Bacterial abundance [(1.1–4.6)×108 1 −1] and rates of bacterial production (2–19 nM C h −1) and plankton respiration (50–245 nM O 2 h −1) decreased with depth by four- to nine-fold, and were similar to those reported for oligotrophic waters. Bacterial turnover times increased with depth from approximately 1 to 5 days. Bacterial growth efficiencies decreased from 15% at the surface to 8% at 500 m. Depth-integrated plankton respiration exceeded known estimates of primary production for the region, suggesting that heterotrophic utilization of previously and concurrently produced organic matter (e.g. spring phytoplankton growth, and summer blooms of Trichodesmium sp.) was occurring during the summer. Estimates for the upper 500 m showed that roughly half of the bacterial biomass (56%), bacterial production (49%), and plankton respiration (60%) occurred below the euphotic zone. Routine oceanographic studies have focused exclusively on the metabolic activity occurring within the euphotic zone. Our measurements, however, indicate that mesopelagic plankton also contribute substantially to heterotrophic metabolism and nutrient cycling in the ocean.

Factors related to heterotrophic bacterial and flagellate abundance in temperate rivers

Thirty-one rivers of varying trophic status located in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, were sampled in order to determine the factors related to heterotrophic bacterial and flagellate abundance. Bacterial abundance ranged from 1.80 X 106 to 9.92 X 106 cells ml-' and flagellate abundance ranged from 1.18 X 103 to 17.4 X 103 cells ml-' There was a highly significant, positive relationship between bacterial abundance and both total phosphorus (R2 = 0.551 and chlorophyll a (R2 = 0.55). Bacterial abundance was not related to dissolved organic carbon concentration which ranged from 4.6 to 13.0 mg 1-' A significant positive relationship was observed between heterotrophic flagellate abundance and both heterotrophic bacterial abundance (R2 = 0.46) and total phosphorus (R2 = 0.52). Neither bacterial nor flagellate abundance was significantly related to water residence time. No relationship between zooplankton biomass and bacterial or flagellate abundance was observed, possibly because of the low biomass of zooplankton in the rivers (mean = 11.3 pg 1.' dry mass). Results suggest that in rivers there is little transfer of energy from the microbial food web to the planktonic food web due to the scarcity of metazoan zooplankton.

Dynamics of picophytoplankton, ultraphytoplankton and bacteria in the central equatorial Pacific

Pico- and ultraplankton are known to contribute significantly to overall biomass and primary productivity in the “high nutrient-low chlorophyll” waters of the equatorial Pacific. In order to understand the dynamics of this community on ecologically relevant time-scales, we examined the abundance, distribution and cellular characteristics of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, eukaryotic ultraphytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria during two 20-day time-series at 0°N, 140°W in the spring and fall of 1992 (JGOFS time-series cruises, TS-I and TS-II). Prochlorococcus was numerically dominant among the autotrophic groups considered, with mean cell concentrations in surface waters on the order of 1.4 × 10 5 cells ml −1. Synechococcus and ultraphytoplankton abundances were 17–30-fold lower than those of Prochlorococcus, and heterotrophic bacterial abundances were 5–7-fold higher (during TS-I and TS-II, respectively). Daily cell abundances for all groups varied by factors of 1.5-2 within each time-series. Depth-integrated Prochlorococcus abundance averaged over each time-series was 25% lower during TS-II relative to TS-I; ultraphytoplankton abundance was 42% higher during the same period. Prochlorococcus and ultraphytoplankton both contributed significantly to the estimated total autotrophic biomass; Synechococcus contributed relatively little. Estimated total photosynthetic pico- plus ultraplankton biomass was on average 30% higher than heterotrophic bacterial biomass. Changes in the fluorescence and light scatter properties of individual Prochlorococcus cells were observed during the passage of a tropical instability wave during TS-II, and are hypothesized to reflect a physiological response among these cells to that event. Examination of bulk properties alone (e.g. cell numbers or total red fluorescence) would not have revealed these physiological changes. Lower bounds for Prochlorococcus-specific growth rates were calculated based on the DNA distributions of these populations at dusk. These rates were maximal at 15 or 30 m depth, where they approached one doubling per day. Changes in Prochlorococcus forward angle light scatter (FALS) from dawn to dusk were well correlated with these estimates of specific growth rate, an observation that allowed us to relate measurements of FALS to cell volume for Prochlorococcus.

Effects of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on Bacterioplankton: Evidence for Both Size-Selective Consumption and Growth Stimulation

Zebra mussels had significant direct and possible indirect effects on heterotrophic bacteria in two contrasting sites in Saginaw Bay. At a eutrophic site in the inner portion of Saginaw Bay, mussels fed directly on bacterial-sized particles and had a negative impact on bacterial abundances. Mussels removed large bacteria (> 0.9μm) more effectively than small bacteria at this site. Individual mussels cleared from 37–89ml per day. Results using different sizes of fluorescent microspheres suggest that zebra mussels have a lower limit for particle size removal that is less than 0.4μm. Contradictory to inner bay results, mussels at an outer bay oligotrophic site had a positive impact on heterotrophic bacterial abundance, perhaps as a result of indirect effects, such as nutrient or organic carbon excretion by the mussels. Differences in the impact of mussels on the bacterial communities of the inner bay and outer bay probably result from differences in trophic state and bacterial community structure. A hypothesized smaller size of bacteria at outer bay sites may enable them to escape heavy predation pressure from mussels and the high rates of mussel nutrient excretion may facilitate their growth in these nutrient depleted conditions.

Population dynamics of autotrophic picoplankton in relation to environmental factors in a productive lake

Spatial and seasonal fluctuations in autotrophic picoplankton (APP) abundance in a eutrophic, dimictic lake (Lake Aydat, France) were measured concurrently with a variety of environmental variables. Cell number ranged from 0.03 to 2.36×106 cells·ml−1 (highest concentrations were >5-fold higher than in oligotrophic lakes) and averaged 24 ± 7% of total picoplankton abundance (APP + heterotrophic bacteria). APP abundance (1) peaked in spring simultaneously with heterotrophic flagellate and ciliate densities, (2) decreased during the nitrogen-limited and summer stratification period, and (3) increased with fall turnover. In summer-autumn, the contribution of single-cell eukaryotic (up to 66%) and colonial prokaryotic (18%) forms to total abundance peaked in the bottom waters. Multivariate regression analyses suggest that >40% variance in APP number changes may be explained by ciliate abundance (at 0–4 m depth-range), heterotrophic flagellate number and oxygen concentration (5–9 m), and ciliate carbon biomass (10–14 m). The model accounting for changes in heterotrophic bacterial abundance (5–9 m) indicates chlorophylla concentration (r 2=58%) and ciliate abundance (r 2=34%) as dominant covariates. The data presented here suggest that micrograzers control APP abundance in Lake Aydat.

Distribution and composition of biogenic particulate matter in a Gulf Stream warm-core ring

We have characterized the biogenic particle field in Gulf Stream warm-core ring 82-B in June of 1982. Our observations include chlorophyll α and phaeopigments, ATP, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, biogenic silica, total particle volume and size distribution, bacterial abundance and picoplankton biomass, and the abundances of diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophorids in the upper 700 m along two transects of the ring. A distinct maximum in phytoplankton biomass occurred within the thermocline (20 to 40 m) at the ring's center of rotation. This maximum had not been present in late April, and apparently developed within 3 to 4 weeks after the ring stratified in mid May. It exhibited a high degree of axial symmetry about the center of the ring, with biomass decreasing outward from ring center. A second biomass maximum associated with shelf surface water was being entrained into the anticyclonic flow field of the ring 60 to 70 km from its center. Maximum chlorophyll α and ATP concentrations observed in the two biomass maxima were similar, but the ring-center maximum was 2 to 10 times richer in particulate carbon, biogenic silica, particles > 5 μm in diameter, dinoflagellates, diatoms and estimated organic detritus, while the entrained shelf water had 2 to 5 times greater abundances of unicellular monads. Heterotrophic bacterial abundance and biomass, and the abundance of cocoid cyanobacteria were maximal in the region of highest rotational velocity 40 to 50 km from ring center. In this region the abundances of bacteria and cyanobacteria were 2 to 5 times as great as at the center of the ring. Two possible mechanisms can explain the development of an axially symmetrical maximum in biogenic particulate matter in the center of a warm-core ring: concentration by the flow field and in situ growth. Our data on the distribution and composition of biogenic material in ring 82-B indicate a greater likehood that this particular ring-center maximum developed in situ.