Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Carbon fluxes in the microbial loop: Comments

  • Sources of Carbon for the Microbial Loop
  • Published:
Microbial Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The heterotrophic bacterial community of oceanic aggregates which mediates particle solubilization, displays features (low carbon demand and low turnover) that are difficult to reconcile with the observed high enzyme activities and cell numbers. Hypotheses are proposed to explain this discrepancy. Furthermore, production of both free and attached bacteria may have been underestimated by neglecting the ultramicrobacteria (UMB). Production of UMB may represent up to 28% of the total bacterial production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alldredge AL, Passow U, Logan BE (1993) The abundance and significance of a class of large, transparent organic particles in the ocean. Deep-Sea Res 40:1131–1140

    Google Scholar 

  2. Azam F (1994) Role of the microbial loop in oceanic carbon cycling. Microb Ecol 28:167–179

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bergh Ø, Borsheim KY, Bratbak G, Heldal M (1989) High abundance of viruses found in aquatic environments. Nature 30:467–486

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chrost RJ (1989) Characterization and significance of β-glucosidase activity in lake water. Limnol Oceanogr 34:660–672

    Google Scholar 

  5. Smith DC, Simon M, Alldredge AL, Azam F (1992) Intense hydrolytic enzyme activity on marine aggregates and implications for rapid particle dissolution. Nature 359:139–142

    Google Scholar 

  6. Torella F, Morita RY (1981) Microcultural study of bacteria size changes and microcolony and ultramicrocolony formation by heterotrophic bacteria in seawater. Appl Environ Microbiol 41:518–527

    Google Scholar 

  7. Velimirov B, Kirschner AKT, Mathias CB (1992) Productivity of ultramicrobacteria in marine and limnic systems. In: Guerrero R, Pedrós-Alió C (eds) Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology. University of Barcelona Press, Barcelona.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Wotton RS (1990) The biology of particles in aquatic systems. CRC Press Inc., Boston.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Allgemeine Biologie, Abt. Mikrobiologie, Universität Wien, Währingerstr. 17/2, A-1090, Wien, Austria

    B. Velimirov

Authors
  1. B. Velimirov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Velimirov, B. Carbon fluxes in the microbial loop: Comments. Microb Ecol 28, 205–207 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00166810

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00166810

Keywords

Search

Navigation