Abstract
The relationship between release of organic substances by phytoplankton and their utilization by heterotrophic bacteria has been measured by means of differential filtration in parallel Steemann Nielsen and Parsons and Strickland incubations. In Southampton Waters (UK), between March and September, the values for bacterial production measured in the above manner varied between 1 and 30%, the total primary production being taken as 100%. Even when low bacterial production occurs during the light period of incubation, a significant increase takes place during the following dark period. Thus, a close correlation between primary algal and the resultant bacterial production can be demonstrated. Quantitative data on bacterial production may be obtained from the conventional productivity experiments by simple double filtration.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Andrews, P. and P. J. Le B. Williams: Heterotrophic utilization of dissolved organic compounds in the sea. III. Measurement of the oxidation rates and concentrations of glucose and amino acids in sea-water. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 51, 111–125 (1971).
Barber, R. T.: Dissolved organic carbon from deep water resists microbial oxidation. Nature, Lond. 220, 274–275 (1968).
Choi, C. I.: Primary production and release of dissolved organic carbon from phytoplankton in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Deep Sea Res. 19, 731–735 (1972).
Derenbach, J. B.: Partikuläre Substanz und Plankton an Hand chemischer und biologischer Daten gemessen in den oberen Wasserschichten des Gotland-Tief im Mai 1968. Kieler Meeresforsch. 25, 279–289 (1969).
Duursma, E. K.: The dissolved organic constituents of sea-water. In: Chemical oceanography, pp 433–475. Ed. by J. P. Riley and G. Skirrow. London: Academic Press 1965.
Elbrächter, M.: Begrenzte Heterotrophie bei Amphidinium. Kieler Meeresforsch. 28, 84–91 (1972).
Fogg, G. E., C. Nalewajko and W. D. Watt: Extracellular products of phytoplankton photosynthesis. Proc. R. Soc. (Ser. B.) 162, 517–534 (1965).
Gundersen, K., C. W. Mountain, D. Taylor, R. Ohye and J. Shen: Some chemical and microbiological observations in the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian Islands. Limnol. Oceanogr. 17, 524–531 (1972).
Hamilton, R. D. and J. E. Preslan: Observations on heterotrophic activity in the eastern tropical Pacific. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 395–401 (1970)
Hobbie, J. E. and C. C. Crawford: Respiration corrections for bacterial uptake of dissolved organic compounds in natural waters. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14, 528–532 (1969).
Hobson, L. A., D. W. Menzel and R. T. Barber: Primary productivity and sizes of pools of organic carbon in the mixed layer of the ocean. Mar. Biol. 19, 298–306 (1973).
Holmes, R. W.: Size fractionation of photosynthesizing phytoplankton. Spec. scient. Rep. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. (Fisheries) 279, 69–71 (1958).
Humphrey, G. F. and M. Wootton: Comparison of techniques used in the determination of phytoplankton pigments. In: Monographs on oceanographic methodology, Vol. I. pp 37–63. Ed. by UNESCO. Paris: UNESCO 1965.
Ignatiades, L. and G. E. Fogg: Studies on the factors affecting the release of organic matter by Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve in culture. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 53, 937–956 (1973).
Kusnetsov, S. I. und W. I. Romanenko: Produktion der Biomasse heterotropher Bakterien und die Geschwindigkeit ihrer Vermehrung im Rybinsk-Stausee. Verh. int. Verein. theor. angew. Limnol. 16, 1493–1500 (1966).
Ogura, N.: The relation between dissolved organic carbon and apparent oxygen utilization in the western North Pacific. Deep Sea Res. 17, 221–231 (1970).
Parsons, T. D. and J. D. H. Strickland: On the production of particulate organic carbon by heterotrophic processes in sea-water. Deep Sea Res. 8, 211–222 (1961).
Raymont, J. E. G.: Plankton and productivity in the oceans, 660 pp. London: Pergamon Press 1963.
Saijo, Y.: Size distribution of photosynthesizing phytoplankton in the Indian Ocean. Ocean. J. oceangr. Soc. Japan 19, 187–189 (1964).
Sheldon, R. W.: Size separation of marine seston by membrane and glass-fiber filters. Limnol. Oceanogr. 17, 494–498 (1972).
Smetacek, V. S.: Zur Leistungsfähigkeit der bei produktions-biologischen Untersuchungen verwendeten Filtersorten. Kieler Meeresforsch 27, 171–179 (1971).
Sorokin, J. I.: On the role of bacteria in the productivity of tropical oceanic waters. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. 56, 1–48 (1971).
Steemann Nielsen, E.: The use of radioactive carbon for measuring organic production in the sea. J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 18, 117–140 (1952).
Tacon, B.: Primary production experiments off the Isle of Wight, 74 pp. MSc. Thesis, Southampton University 1972.
Thomas, J. P.: Release of dissolved organic matter from natural populations of marine phytoplankton. Mar. Biol. 11, 311–323 (1971).
Trudgill, P. W., R. Widdus and J. S. Rees: Effects of organchlorine insecticides on bacterial growth, respiration and viability. J. gen. Microbiol. 69, 1–13 (1971).
Wiebe, W. J. and L. R. Pomeroy: Microorganisms and their association with aggregates and detritus in the sea in a microscopic study. Memorie Ist. ital. Idrobiol. 28 (Suppl.), 325–352 (1972).
Williams, P. J. Le B.: Heterotrophic utilization of dissolved organic compounds in the sea. I. Size distribution of population and relationship between respiration and incorporation of growth substrates. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 50, 859–870 (1970).
—, T. Berman and O. Holm-Hansen: Potential sources of error in the measurement of low rates of planktonic photosynthesis and excretion. Nature new Biol. 236, 91–92 (1972).
Williams, P. M. and L. I. Gordon: Carbon-13: carbon-12 ratios in dissolved and particulate organic matter in the sea. Deep Sea Res. 17, 19–27 (1970).
Wright, R. T. and J. E. Hobbie: Use of glucose and acetate by bacteria and algae in aquatic ecosystems. Ecology 47, 447–464 (1966).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Derenbach, J.B., Williams, P.J.L.B. Autotrophic and bacterial production: Fractionation of plankton populations by differential filtration of samples from the English channel. Mar. Biol. 25, 263–269 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404968
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404968