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A Mollicutes Metagenome-Assembled Genome From The Gut Of The Pteropod Limacina Rangii, Zachary T. Pimentel, Patrica S. Thibodeau, Bongkeum Song, Ying Zhang Jan 2022

A Mollicutes Metagenome-Assembled Genome From The Gut Of The Pteropod Limacina Rangii, Zachary T. Pimentel, Patrica S. Thibodeau, Bongkeum Song, Ying Zhang

VIMS Articles

A nearly complete genome of an uncultured Mollicutes sp. was obtained from the metagenome of the gut of Limacina rangii (open-ocean snail), an important grazer and prey for higher trophic animals along the rapidly warming region of the western Antarctic Peninsula.


Trace Metal Availability Affects Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Microbial Functional Group Abundance In Freshwater Wetland Sediments, George Giannopoulos, Katherine R. Hartop, Bonnie L. Brown, Bongkeun Song, Lars Elsgaard, Rima B. Franklin Sep 2020

Trace Metal Availability Affects Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Microbial Functional Group Abundance In Freshwater Wetland Sediments, George Giannopoulos, Katherine R. Hartop, Bonnie L. Brown, Bongkeun Song, Lars Elsgaard, Rima B. Franklin

VIMS Articles

We investigated the effects of trace metal additions on microbial nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) cycling using freshwater wetland sediment microcosms amended with micromolar concentrations of copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), iron (Fe), and all combinations thereof. In addition to monitoring inorganic N transformations (NO3, NO2, N2O, NH4+) and carbon mineralization (CO2, CH4), we tracked changes in functional gene abundance associated with denitrification (nirS, nirK, nosZ), dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA; nrfA), and methanogenesis (mcrA). With regards to …


Enhanced Nitrous Oxide Production In Denitrifying Dechloromonas Aromatica Strain Rcb Under Salt Or Alkaline Stress Conditions, H Han, Bk Song, Mj Song, S Yoon Jun 2019

Enhanced Nitrous Oxide Production In Denitrifying Dechloromonas Aromatica Strain Rcb Under Salt Or Alkaline Stress Conditions, H Han, Bk Song, Mj Song, S Yoon

VIMS Articles

Salinity and pH have direct and indirect impacts on the growth and metabolic activities of microorganisms. In this study, the effects of salt and alkaline stresses on the kinetic balance between nitrous oxide (N2O) production and consumption in the denitrification pathway of Dechloromonas aromatica strain RCB were examined. N2O accumulated transiently only in insignificant amounts at low salinity (


Vertical Stratification Of Sediment Microbial Communities Along Geochemical Gradients Of A Subterranean Estuary Located At The Gloucester Beach Of Virginia, United States, Yiguo Hong, Jiapeng Wu, Stephanie Wilson, Bk Song Jan 2019

Vertical Stratification Of Sediment Microbial Communities Along Geochemical Gradients Of A Subterranean Estuary Located At The Gloucester Beach Of Virginia, United States, Yiguo Hong, Jiapeng Wu, Stephanie Wilson, Bk Song

VIMS Articles

Subterranean estuaries (STEs) have been recognized as important ecosystems for the exchange of materials between the land and sea, but the microbial players of biogeochemical processes have not been well examined. In this study, we investigated the bacterial and archaeal communities within 10 cm depth intervals of a permeable sediment core (100 cm in length) collected from a STE located at Gloucester Point (GP-STE), VA, United States. High throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and subsequent bioinformatics analyses were conducted to examine the composition, diversity, and potential functions of the sediment communities. The community composition varied significantly from the surface …


Microbes As Engines Of Ecosystem Function: When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions Of Ecosystem Processes?, Emily B. Graham, Joeseph E. Knelman, Et Al, Bk Song Jan 2016

Microbes As Engines Of Ecosystem Function: When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions Of Ecosystem Processes?, Emily B. Graham, Joeseph E. Knelman, Et Al, Bk Song

VIMS Articles

Microorganisms are vital in mediating the earth’s biogeochemical cycles; yet, despite our rapidly increasing ability to explore complex environmental microbial communities, the relationship between microbial community structure and ecosystem processes remains poorly understood. Here, we address a fundamental and unanswered question in microbial ecology: ‘When do we need to understand microbial community structure to accurately predict function?’ We present a statistical analysis investigating the value of environmental data and microbial community structure independently and in combination for explaining rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling processes within 82 global datasets. Environmental variables were the strongest predictors of process rates but left …


Structure And Function Of Zooplankton-Associated Bacterial Communities In A Temperate Estuary Change More With Time Than With Zooplankton Species, Samatha L. Bickel, Kam W. Tang, Hans-Peter Grossart Mar 2014

Structure And Function Of Zooplankton-Associated Bacterial Communities In A Temperate Estuary Change More With Time Than With Zooplankton Species, Samatha L. Bickel, Kam W. Tang, Hans-Peter Grossart

VIMS Articles

Zooplankton support distinct bacterial communities in high concentrations relative to the surrounding water, but little is known about how the compositions and functionalities of these bacterial communities change through time in relation to environmental conditions. We conducted a year-long field study of bacterial communities associated with common zooplankton groups as well as free-living bacterial communities in the York River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay. Bacterial community genetic fingerprints and their carbon substrate usage were examined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amplified 16S rDNA and by Biolog EcoPlates, respectively. Zooplankton-associated communities were genetically distinct from free-living bacterial communities but …


Impacts Of Freshwater Flushing On Anammox Community Structure And Activities In The New River Estuary, Usa, Ja Lisa, B Song, Cr Tobias, Ka Duernberger Jan 2014

Impacts Of Freshwater Flushing On Anammox Community Structure And Activities In The New River Estuary, Usa, Ja Lisa, B Song, Cr Tobias, Ka Duernberger

VIMS Articles

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and denitrification are 2 microbial nitrogen removal processes that may play an important role in controlling the intensity and duration of estuarine and coastal eutrophication. Sediment communities in the New River Estuary, North Carolina were investigated to determine the dynamics of anammox activity and community structure in conjunction with environmental conditions. N-15 tracer incubation experiments with sediment slurries were used to measure anammox and denitrification rates and estimate anammox contribution to total N-2 production. Molecular analyses targeting the hydrazine oxidoreductase (hzo) gene were conducted to examine the structure of anammox communities and quantify the abundance of …


Oceanic Heterotrophic Bacterial Nutrition By Semilabile Dom As Revealed By Data Assimilative Modeling, Yw Luo, M. A.M. Friedrichs, Sc Doney, Mj Church, Hw Ducklow Jan 2010

Oceanic Heterotrophic Bacterial Nutrition By Semilabile Dom As Revealed By Data Assimilative Modeling, Yw Luo, M. A.M. Friedrichs, Sc Doney, Mj Church, Hw Ducklow

VIMS Articles

Previous studies have focused on the role of labile dissolved organic matter (DOM) (defined as turnover time of similar to 1 d) in supporting heterotrophic bacterial production, but have mostly neglected semilabile DOM (defined as turnover time of similar to 100 to 1000 d) as a potential substrate for heterotrophic bacterial growth. To test the hypothesis that semilabile DOM supports substantial amounts of heterotrophic bacterial production in the open ocean, we constructed a 1-dimensional epipelagic ecosystem model and applied it to 3 open ocean sites: the Arabian Sea, Equatorial Pacific and Station ALOHA in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. The …


Comparison Of Cell-Specific Activity Between Free-Living And Attached Bacteria Using Isolates And Natural Assemblages, Hp Gropssar, Kw Tang, T Kiorboe, H Ploug Jan 2007

Comparison Of Cell-Specific Activity Between Free-Living And Attached Bacteria Using Isolates And Natural Assemblages, Hp Gropssar, Kw Tang, T Kiorboe, H Ploug

VIMS Articles

Marine snow aggregates are microbial hotspots that support high bacterial abundance and activities. We conducted laboratory experiments to compare cell-specific bacterial protein production (BPP) and protease activity between free-living and attached bacteria. Natural bacterial assemblages attached to model aggregates (agar spheres) had threefold higher BPP and two orders of magnitude higher protease activity than their free-living counterpart. These observations could be explained by preferential colonization of the agar spheres by bacteria with inherently higher metabolic activity and/or individual bacteria increasing their metabolism upon attachment to surfaces. In subsequent experiments, we used four strains of marine snow bacteria isolates to test …


Microbial Abundance, Composition And Enzymatic Activity During Decomposition Of Copepod Carcasses, Kw Tang, Kml Hutalle, Et Al Nov 2006

Microbial Abundance, Composition And Enzymatic Activity During Decomposition Of Copepod Carcasses, Kw Tang, Kml Hutalle, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Literature suggests that zooplankton carcasses are prevalent at times in both freshwater and marine environments, and could be important substrate sources for water column microbes (Dubovskaya et al. 2003, Hydrobiologia 504:223-227; Tang et al. 2006b, Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 68:499-508). We conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the decomposition of copepod carcasses by ambient microbes from Lake Dagow, Germany. Bacteria rapidly colonized and decomposed the carcasses, mainly from the inside. The ambient bacterial abundance increased 2-fold or more at the peak of decomposition, but decreased afterward, presumably due to protozoan grazing. Initial increase in ambient bacteria was faster at 20 degrees …


Interactions Between Marine Snow And Heterotrophic Bacteria: Aggregate Formation And Microbial Dynamics, Hp Grossart, T Kiorboe, Kw Tang, Et Al Feb 2006

Interactions Between Marine Snow And Heterotrophic Bacteria: Aggregate Formation And Microbial Dynamics, Hp Grossart, T Kiorboe, Kw Tang, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Macroscopic aggregates (marine snow) contribute to new production and nutrient dynamics in the upper ocean and vertical fluxes of organic matter to the deep ocean. To test whether microorganisms play a significant role in phytoplankton aggregate formation we studied particle abundance and size as well as abundance, colonization behaviour, and community composition of bacteria during the growth of 2 marine diatoms (Thalassiosira weissflogii and Navicula sp.) under axenic and non-axenic conditions. Community composition of free-living and attached bacteria during phytoplankton growth and aggregation was studied by amplification of 16S rRNA gene fragments and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Our results …


Copepods As Microbial Hotspots In The Ocean: Effects Of Host Feeding Activities On Attached Bacteria, Kw Tang Jan 2005

Copepods As Microbial Hotspots In The Ocean: Effects Of Host Feeding Activities On Attached Bacteria, Kw Tang

VIMS Articles

Through ingestion a copepod introduces rich organic substrates into its guts and fecal pellets, where dense bacteria may exploit them and show fast growth. Thus, a copepod and its fecal pellets may be regarded as microbial hotspots in the ocean. This study investigated the effects of copepods' feeding activities on the associated bacteria, using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. Starved Acartia tonsa (calanoid copepod) carried a background bacteria population of 103 to 10(4) copepod(-1). When fed axenic cultures of algae Rhodomonas salina or Dunaliella tertiolecta, the bacterial abundance increased curvilinearly with the copepods' ingestion rates. When fed axenic cultures …


Light Dependence Of [H-3]Leucine Incorporation In The Oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean, Mj Church, Hw Ducklow, Da Karl Jul 2004

Light Dependence Of [H-3]Leucine Incorporation In The Oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean, Mj Church, Hw Ducklow, Da Karl

VIMS Articles

The influence of irradiance on bacterial incorporation of [H-3] leucine was evaluated at Station ALOHA in the oligotrophic North Pacific subtropical gyre. Six experiments were conducted on three cruises to Station ALOHA to examine how [H-3]leucine incorporation varied as a function of irradiance. Two experiments were also conducted to assess the photoautotrophic response to irradiance (based on photosynthetic uptake of [C-14] bicarbonate) in both the upper and lower photic zones. Rates of [H-3]leucine incorporation responded to irradiance in a photosynthesis-like manner, increasing sharply at low light and then saturating and sometimes declining with increasing light intensity. The influence of irradiance …


Particle-Associated Flagellates: Swimming Patterns, Colonization Rates, And Grazing On Attached Bacteria, T Kiorboe, Hp Grossart, H Ploug, K Tang, B Auer Apr 2004

Particle-Associated Flagellates: Swimming Patterns, Colonization Rates, And Grazing On Attached Bacteria, T Kiorboe, Hp Grossart, H Ploug, K Tang, B Auer

VIMS Articles

Some pelagic flagellates colonize particles, such as marine snow, where they graze on bacteria and thus impact the dynamics of the attached microbial communities. Particle colonization is governed by motility. Swimming patterns of 2 particle-associated flagellates, Bodo designis and Spumella sp., are very different, the former swimming slowly in an erratic, random pattern, and the latter faster and along smooth helixes of variable amplitude and frequency. At spatial scales exceeding ca. 50 mum, the motility of B. designis can be described as a random walk and modeled as diffusion. Spumella sp. shows directional persistence of the helical axes up to …


Trophic Uptake And Transfer Of Dmsp In Simple Planktonic Food Chains, Kw Tang, R Simo Mar 2003

Trophic Uptake And Transfer Of Dmsp In Simple Planktonic Food Chains, Kw Tang, R Simo

VIMS Articles

Recent field studies suggest that a large portion of phytoplankton-DMSP could be lost to grazing by protozoans, but the fate of the grazed DMSP remains uncertain. In the laboratory we studied trophic uptake and transfer of phytoplankton-DMSP through simple planktonic food chains using 2 experimental approaches: (1) A direct approach measured the ingestion and retention of phytoplankton-DMSP by the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Gyrodinium dominans. Overall, DMSP content of G. dominans estimated by the direct approach was highly variable, likely because of the low G. dominans biomass relative to phytoplankton in the samples. (2) An indirect approach, in which the omnivorous copepod …


Bacterioplankton Dynamics In The York River Estuary: Primary Influence Of Temperature And Freshwater Inputs, G. E. Schultz, E. D. White, H. W. Ducklow Jan 2003

Bacterioplankton Dynamics In The York River Estuary: Primary Influence Of Temperature And Freshwater Inputs, G. E. Schultz, E. D. White, H. W. Ducklow

VIMS Articles

Bacterial community dynamics were investigated over seasonal and basin scales within the York River estuary, Virginia. Variables describing bacterioplankton dynamics were measured at 6 stations spanning the entire salinity gradient (0 to ca. 20 psu over 60 km). Samples were collected monthly from June 1996 through May 1997 and every other month from June 1997 through May 1998. Bacterial abundance and production were high throughout the estuary. Bacterial abundance ranged from 4.4 x 10(8) to 1.3 x 10(10) cells l(-1). Incorporation of (3)H-thymidine ranged from 10 to 863 pmol(-1) h(-1) while (3)H-leucine incorporation rates ranged from 25 to 1963 pmol …


Widespread Distribution In Polar Oceans Of A 16s Rrna Gene Sequence With Affinity To Nitrosospira-Like Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria, Jt Hollibaugh, Hw Ducklow, N Bano Mar 2002

Widespread Distribution In Polar Oceans Of A 16s Rrna Gene Sequence With Affinity To Nitrosospira-Like Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria, Jt Hollibaugh, Hw Ducklow, N Bano

VIMS Articles

We analyzed the phylogenetic compositions of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria of the beta subclass of Proteobacteria from 42 Southern Ocean samples. We found a Nitrosospira-like 16S rRNA gene sequence in all 20 samples that yielded PCR products (8 of 30 samples from the Ross Sea and 12 of 12 samples from the Palmer Peninsula). We also found this sequence in Arctic Ocean samples, indicating a transpolar, if not global, distribution; however, slight differences between Arctic and Antarctic sequences may be evidence of polar endemism.


Microbial Loop Carbon Cycling In Ocean Environments Studied Using A Simple Steady-State Model, T. R. Anderson, H. W. Ducklow Oct 2001

Microbial Loop Carbon Cycling In Ocean Environments Studied Using A Simple Steady-State Model, T. R. Anderson, H. W. Ducklow

VIMS Articles

A simple steady-state model is used to examine the microbial loop as a pathway for organic C in marine systems, constrained by observed estimates of bacterial to primary production ratio (BP:PP) and bacterial growth efficiency (BGE). Carbon sources (primary production including extracellular release of dissolved organic carbon, DOC), cycling via zooplankton grazing and viral lysis, and sinks (bacterial and zooplankton respiration) are represented. Model solutions indicate that, at least under near steady-state conditions, recent estimates of BP:PP of about 0.1 to 0.15 are consistent with reasonable scenarios of C cycling (low BGE and phytoplankton extracellular release) at open ocean sites …


Changes In Bacterioplankton Metabolic Capabilities Along A Salinity Gradient In The York River Estuary, Virginia, Usa, G. E. Schultz, H. W. Ducklow Sep 2000

Changes In Bacterioplankton Metabolic Capabilities Along A Salinity Gradient In The York River Estuary, Virginia, Usa, G. E. Schultz, H. W. Ducklow

VIMS Articles

Changes in metabolic capabilities of bacterial communities along the estuarine salinity gradient may affect the extent of organic matter processing and bacterial growth and accumulation during transit through the system; As part of a larger study of estuarine microbial processes, we attempted to quantify differences in bacterial community structure using Biolog plates. Biolog GN plates (Biolog, Inc., Hayward, CA, USA) were used to determine differences in bacterioplankton community metabolic potential. Biolog GN microplates are 96-well microtiter plates in which each well contains an individual carbon source as well the redox dye tetrazolium violet. As bacteria grow and oxidize each substrate, …


Limitation Of Bacterial Growth By Dissolved Organic Matter And Iron In The Southern Ocean, Mj Church, Da Hutchins, Hw Ducklow Feb 2000

Limitation Of Bacterial Growth By Dissolved Organic Matter And Iron In The Southern Ocean, Mj Church, Da Hutchins, Hw Ducklow

VIMS Articles

The importance of resource limitation in controlling bacterial growth in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) region of the Southern Ocean was experimentally determined during February and March 1998. Organic- and inorganic-nutrient enrichment experiments were performed between 42 degrees S and 55 degrees S along 141 degrees E. Bacterial abundance, mean cell volume, and [H-3]thymidine and [H-3]leucine incorporation were measured during 4- to 5-day incubations. Bacterial biomass, production, and rates of growth all responded to organic enrichments in three of the four experiments. These results indicate that bacterial growth was constrained primarily by the availability of dissolved organic matter. Bacterial growth in …


Autumnal Biomass And Potential Productivity Of Salt Marsh Fungi From 29 Degrees To 43 Degrees North Latitude Along The United States Atlantic Coast, Sy Newell, Lk Blum, Re Crawford, T Dai, M Dionne Jan 2000

Autumnal Biomass And Potential Productivity Of Salt Marsh Fungi From 29 Degrees To 43 Degrees North Latitude Along The United States Atlantic Coast, Sy Newell, Lk Blum, Re Crawford, T Dai, M Dionne

VIMS Articles

It has been established that substantial amounts of fungal mass accumulate in standing decaying smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) marshes in the southeastern United States (e.g., in standing decaying leaf blades with a total fungal organic mass that accounts for about 20% of the decay system organic mass), but it has been hypothesized that in marshes farther north this is not true. We obtained samples of autumnal standing decaying smooth cordgrass from sites in Florida to Maine over a 3-year period. The variation in latitude could not explain any of the variation in the living fungal standing crop las determined by …


Perkinsus Marinus Extracellular Protease Modulates Survival Of Vibrio Vulnificus In Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Hemocytes, Bd Tall, Jf La Peyre, Et Al, M Faisal Sep 1999

Perkinsus Marinus Extracellular Protease Modulates Survival Of Vibrio Vulnificus In Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Hemocytes, Bd Tall, Jf La Peyre, Et Al, M Faisal

VIMS Articles

The in vitro effects of the Perkinsus marinus serine protease on the intracellular survival of Vibrio vulnificus in oyster hemocytes were examined by using a time-course gentamicin internalization assay. Results showed that protease-treated hemocytes were initially slower to internalize V. vulnificus than untreated hemocytes. After 1 h, the elimination of V. vulnificus by treated hemocytes was significantly suppressed compared with hemocytes infected with invasive and noninvasive controls. Our data suggest that the serine protease produced by P. marinas suppresses the vibriocidal activity of oyster hemocytes to effectively eliminate V. vulnificus, potentially leading to conditions favoring higher numbers of vibrios in …


Estimation Of Bacterial Respiration And Growth Efficiency In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, C. A. Carlson, N. R. Bates, H. W. Ducklow, D. A. Hansell Jan 1999

Estimation Of Bacterial Respiration And Growth Efficiency In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, C. A. Carlson, N. R. Bates, H. W. Ducklow, D. A. Hansell

VIMS Articles

Seawater cultures were conducted in large volume (36 l) gas impermeable tri-laminate bags for the purpose of empirically deriving bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) and carbon conversion factors (CCF) in the south central Ross Sea. This experimental design allowed for concomitant measurements of metabolic reactants (loss of total and dissolved organic carbon [TOC and DOG]) and products (gain of total carbon dioxide [TCO2] and bacterial biomass) to be made from a single incubation vessel. Some previous studies have relied on proxy measurements (e.g. O-2, H-3-thymidine incorporation and cell abundance) to determine BGE and CCF rather than direct carbon measurements. Our experimental …


Bacterial Growth In Experimental Plankton Assemblages And Seawater Cultures From The Phaeocystis Antarctica Bloom In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, H. W. Ducklow, C. Carlson, Walker O. Smith Jr. Jan 1999

Bacterial Growth In Experimental Plankton Assemblages And Seawater Cultures From The Phaeocystis Antarctica Bloom In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, H. W. Ducklow, C. Carlson, Walker O. Smith Jr.

VIMS Articles

A series of seawater culture experiments was carried out during the Phaeocystis antarctica bloom in the Ross Sea polynya (76.5 degrees S, 180 degrees W; November to December 1994 and December 1995 to January 1996) to examine bacterioplankton growth and derive empirical factors for estimating bacterial production rates. Bacterial growth was exponential over 3 to 10 d in all experiments, at rates of ca 0.1 to 0.7 d(-1), even in persistently cold waters (-2 to + 1 degrees C). Growth rates were lower in the early part of the bloom (early to mid-November) and highest during the period of peak …


The Bacterial Component Of The Oceanic Euphotic Zone, H. W. Ducklow Jan 1999

The Bacterial Component Of The Oceanic Euphotic Zone, H. W. Ducklow

VIMS Articles

Bacteria in the open sea remote from land are sustained strictly on local sources of organic production which should make understanding their nutrition and growth regulation easier than in nearshore systems, estuaries and lakes. Until now, a paucity of data from geographically isolated oceanic sites prevented ready :interpretation. In the past decade investigation of bacterial properties in oceanic systems has increased rapidly, stimulated in part by large oceanographic programs like the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study. Here I review comprehensive investigations of bacterial biomass and production dynamics in the subarctic north Atlantic and north Pacific, oligotrophic gyres in both oceans, …


Bacterioplankton Growth Responses To Temperature And Chlorophyll Variations In Estuaries Measured By Thymidine:Leucine Incorporation Ratio, Fk Shiah, Hw Ducklow Aug 1997

Bacterioplankton Growth Responses To Temperature And Chlorophyll Variations In Estuaries Measured By Thymidine:Leucine Incorporation Ratio, Fk Shiah, Hw Ducklow

VIMS Articles

To identify the biochemical response of heterotrophic bacterioplankton to changing environmental conditions, seasonal and diel cycles of bacterial protein and DNA synthesis rates were estimated in temperate estuarine habitats from H-3-leucine (Leu) and H-3-thymidine (TdR) incorporation rates. Several short-term temperature manipulation experiments (5 to 35 degrees C) and 2 mesocosm experiments were performed to examine the effects of temperature and substrate supply on the ratio of Leu:TdR, respectively. The molar ratio of Leu to TdR varied about 5-fold (5.6 to 29.5) in the field and the values of the ratio were lower and more constant during high temperature (>25 …


Effects Of Sunlight On Bacteriophage Viability And Structure, Ke Wommack, Rt Hill, Ta Muller, Rr Colwell Apr 1996

Effects Of Sunlight On Bacteriophage Viability And Structure, Ke Wommack, Rt Hill, Ta Muller, Rr Colwell

VIMS Articles

Current estimates of viral abundance in natural waters rely on direct counts of virus-like particles (VLPs), using either transmission or epifluorescence microscopy. Direct counts of VLPs, while useful in studies of viral ecology, do not indicate whether the observed VLPs are capable of infection and/or replication. Rapid decay in bacteriophage viability under environmental conditions has been observed. However, it has not been firmly established whether there is a corresponding degradation of the virus particles, To address this question, viable and direct counts were carried out employing two Chesapeake Bay bacteriophages in experimental microcosms incubated for 56 h at two depths …


Growth Of Bacterioplankton And Consumption Of Dissolved Organic Carbon In The Sargasso Sea, C. A. Carlson, H. W. Ducklow Jan 1996

Growth Of Bacterioplankton And Consumption Of Dissolved Organic Carbon In The Sargasso Sea, C. A. Carlson, H. W. Ducklow

VIMS Articles

Lability of the bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOG) pool and the amount available to bacterioplankton on short time scales (hours to days) were examined in oligotrophic Sargasso Sea water (near Bermuda). We examined bacterial growth and DOC utilization using seawater culture methodology in combination with measurements of bacterial abundance, cell volume, and DOC. Bulk DOC concentrations were determined by high temperature combustion (HTC) analysis, which proved to be a sensitive method for detecting small changes in natural concentration of DOG. Measurable bacterial growth and DOC utilization only occurred in unamended cultures when initial DDC concentrations were greater than observed in …


Aerobic And Anaerobic Degradation And Mineralization Of C-14 Chitin By Water Column And Sediment Inocula Of The York-River-Estuary, Virginia, Jn Boyer Jan 1994

Aerobic And Anaerobic Degradation And Mineralization Of C-14 Chitin By Water Column And Sediment Inocula Of The York-River-Estuary, Virginia, Jn Boyer

VIMS Articles

Potential rates of chitin degradation (C(d)) and mineralization (C(m)) by estuarine water and sediment bacteria were measured as a function of inoculum source, temperature, and oxygen condition. In the water column inoculum, 88 to 93% of the particulate chitin was mineralized to CO2 with no apparent lag between degradation and mineralization. No measurable dissolved pool of radiolabel was found in the water column. For the sediment inocula, 70 to 90% of the chitin was degraded while only 55 to 65% was mineralized to CO2. C-14 label recoveries in the dissolved pool were 19 to 21% for sand, 17 to 24% …


Measurement Of Marine Picoplankton Cell-Size By Using A Cooled, Charge-Coupled Device Camera With Image-Analyzed Fluorescence Microscopy, Cl Viles, Me Sieracki Feb 1992

Measurement Of Marine Picoplankton Cell-Size By Using A Cooled, Charge-Coupled Device Camera With Image-Analyzed Fluorescence Microscopy, Cl Viles, Me Sieracki

VIMS Articles

Accurate measurement of the biomass and size distribution of picoplankton cells (0.2 to 2.0-mu-m) is paramount in characterizing their contribution to the oceanic food web and global biogeochemical cycling. Image-analyzed fluorescence microscopy, usually based on video camera technology, allows detailed measurements of individual cells to be taken. The application of an imaging system employing a cooled, slow-scan charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to automated counting and sizing of individual picoplankton cells from natural marine samples is described. A slow-scan CCD-based camera was compared to a video camera and was superior for detecting and sizing very small, dim particles such as fluorochrome-stained …