Seasonal cycling of putrescine and amino acids in relation to biological production in a stratified coastal salt pond

Abstract

Seasonal cycles of concentrations and microbial uptake of dissolved free amino acids and the polyamine, putrescine, were followed during summer stratification of a coastal salt pond. Stratification began in May and was clearly seen in profiles of temperature, salinity, pH and alkalinity. Primary production exhibited a mid-August maximum and the O₂-H₂S interface shoaled at that time. POC and phytopigments roughly followed the pattern of primary production. Cycling of putresince, like the amino acids, was strongly influenced by primary production and microbial decomposition. Putrescine concentration profiles appeared to follow the pattern of primary production more closely, while amino acids appeared to follow the pattern of microbial production. The absence of production of putrescine during the decomposition of dissolved ornithine and the correlation of putrescine concentration with primary production suggest a direct source from algae in the water column.

Microbial uptake of amino acids and putrescine together accounted for 60–90% of the bacterial C production measured in oxic waters and almost 300% of that measured in the anoxic bottom layer. Since other organic carbon and nitrogen compounds are also being taken up, these data suggest that tracer uptake methods as we used them may overestimate the true microbial uptake rates, or release of other organic compounds by microbes occurs at the same time. Further work on carbon and nitrogen budgets is needed to resolve the apparent imbalance between organic C and N incorporation and bacterial production.