engleski

Potential of the northern Adriatic bacterioplankton for the production of transparent exopolymer particles

Phytoplankton as a source of organic matter required for transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) formation is well described but bacterial role in these processes has not been explained yet. In order to assess the bacterial potential in TEP production the 11 days experiment was conducted. Two different bacterial cultures isolated from the northern Adriatic were used: the mixed culture from the seawater column and the monoculture from the mucilaginous macroaggregate. In stagnant and turbulent conditions both bacterial cultures produced TEP in significantly larger quantities than in abiotic control bottles (up to 3.2 × 107 particles per litre). Differences in TEP abundance and total area values between different cultures and turbulence conditions showed no consistent pattern, but ratios between these parameters and bacterial abundance implied more intense formation of TEP in turbulent conditions. Also, these ratios together with bacterial growth and thymidine incorporation differed in two observed bacterial populations, indicating different processes. TEP abundance and total area values in all cases reached or surpassed average values collected in the northern Adriatic in situ, showing high bacterial potential in TEP production. It was also found that TEP formation was enhanced in turbulent conditions.

TEP; Bacteria; Northern Adriatic; Turbulence

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