Marine snow studies in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean: distribution,composition and role as a food source for migrating plankton

During a 25 d Lagrangian study in May and June 1990 in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, marine snow aggregates were collected using a novel water bottle, and the composition was determined microscopically. The aggregates contained a characteristic signature of a matrix of bacteria, cyanobacteria and autotrophic picoplankton with inter alia inclusions of the tintiniid Dictyocysta elegans and large pennate diatoms. The concentration of bacteria and cyanobacteria was much greater on the aggregates than when free-living by factors of 100 to 6000 and 3000 to 2 500 000, respectively, depending on depth. Various species of crustacean plankton and micronekton were collected, and the faecal pellets produced after capture were examined. These often contained the marine snow signature, indicating that these organisms had been consuming marine snow. In some cases, marine snow material appeared to dominate the diet. This implies a food-chain short cut wherby material, normally too small to be consumed by the mesozooplankton, and considered to constitute the diet of the microplankton can become part of the diet of organisms higher in the food-chain. The micronekton was dominated by the amphipod Themisto compressa, whose pellets also contained the marine snow signature. Shipboard incubation experiments with this species indicated that (1) it does consume marine snow, and (2) its gut-passage time is sufficiently long for material it has eaten in the upper water to be defecated at its day-time depth of several hundred meters. Plankton and micronekton were collected with nets to examine their vertical distribution and diel migration and to put into context the significance of the flux of material in the guts of migrants. Gut flux for the T. compressa population was calculated to be up to 2% of the flux measured simultaneously by drifting sediment traps and <5% when all migrants are considered. The in situ abundance and distribution of marine snow aggregates (>0.6 mm) was examined photographically. A sharp concentration peak was usually encountered in the depth range 40 to 80 m which was not associated with peaks of in situ fluorescence or attenuation but was just below or at the base of the upper mixed layer. The feeding behaviour of zooplankton and nekton may influence these concentration gradients to a considerable extent, and hence affect the flux due to passive settling of marine snow aggregates.     

Enhanced primary production and nutrient regeneration within aggregated marine diatoms

Blooms of chain-forming diatoms often terminate with the mass flocculation and subsequent settlement of cells from the nutrient-depleted euphotic zone. While mass diatom aggregation has been suggested as an adaptive mechanism for placing resting spores in the deep sea, we hypothesized that aggregation may confer an immediate adaptive advantage to the associated diatoms as well. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the photosynthetic activity, pigment composition and nutrient-uptake rates of aggregated and suspended diatoms over time. Diatom aggregates were collected by SCUBA divers in the Santa Barbara Channel (34°23N; 119°50W) on 4 March 1987 and monitored for 9 d in the laboratory. Diatom aggregates sustained chlorophyll a-specific primary production rates two to nine times higher than those of freely suspended diatoms from the surrounding seawater. The timing of maximum productivity was strongly correlated with the appearance of remineralized ammonia within the aggregates. Chlorophyll a-specific nitrate-uptake rates were routinely three to nine times lower in diatom aggregates than in the surrounding seawater. Primary production and pigment concentrations of diatom aggregates aged in situ displayed changes similar to those observed in the laboratory. These results suggest that diatoms associated with aggregates maintain higher photosynthetic rates than freely suspended diatoms by efficiently exploiting remineralized ammonia within the aggregate microenvironment, in preference to external nitrate sources. The enhanced nutrient environment within aggregates may be important for understanding the adaptive significance of the mass flocculation of diatom blooms.     

Growth response of an early successional assemblage of coralline algae and benthic diatoms to ocean acidification

The sustained absorption of anthropogenically released atmospheric CO₂ by the oceans is modifying seawater carbonate chemistry, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). By the year 2100, the worst case scenario is a decline in the average oceanic surface seawater pH by 0.3 units to 7.75. The changing seawater carbonate chemistry is predicted to negatively affect many marine species, particularly calcifying organisms such as coralline algae, while species such as diatoms and fleshy seaweed are predicted to be little affected or may even benefit from OA. It has been hypothesized in previous work that the direct negative effects imposed on coralline algae, and the direct positive effects on fleshy seaweeds and diatoms under a future high CO₂ ocean could result in a reduced ability of corallines to compete with diatoms and fleshy seaweed for space in the future. In a 6-week laboratory experiment, we examined the effect of pH 7.60 (pH predicted to occur due to ocean acidification just beyond the year 2100) compared to pH 8.05 (present day) on the lateral growth rates of an early successional, cold-temperate species assemblage dominated by crustose coralline algae and benthic diatoms. Crustose coralline algae and benthic diatoms maintained positive growth rates in both pH treatments. The growth rates of coralline algae were three times lower at pH 7.60, and a non-significant decline in diatom growth meant that proportions of the two functional groups remained similar over the course of the experiment. Our results do not support our hypothesis that benthic diatoms will outcompete crustose coralline algae under future pH conditions. However, while crustose coralline algae were able to maintain their presence in this benthic rocky reef species assemblage, the reduced growth rates suggest that they will be less capable of recolonizing after disturbance events, which could result in reduced coralline cover under OA conditions.     

Natural diets of vertically migrating zooplankton in the Sargasso Sea

The feeding preferences of three common diel vertically migrating zooplankton were investigated from December 1999 to October 2000 at the U.S. JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS) station in the Sargasso Sea. Gut content analysis of the copepods Pleuromamma xiphias (Giesbrecht) and Euchirella messinensis (Claus) and of the euphausiid Thysanopoda aequalis (Hansen) indicated that all three species fed on a wide variety of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and detrital material. Diet changes generally reflected seasonal trends in phytoplankton community structure. However, species-specific feeding preferences and differences in feeding selectivity among the three species were evident, and in general agreement with feeding habits predicted from the analysis of mouthpart morphology. The euphausiid T. aequalis fed equally on more different food types compared to both copepod species. The copepod P. xiphias consumed a diverse assemblage of phytoplankton from late winter through the summer (78-93% of gut items, by number, were phytoplankton) and based its diet more strongly on carnivorous feeding in autumn and early winter (31% and 61% of gut items were phytoplankton, respectively). E. messinensis showed the greatest feeding specialization, with a strong preference for pennate diatoms in winter and spring and for coccolithophorids during late summer and fall (constituting 67-93% of gut items by number). All three species consumed diatoms more than other phytoplankton taxa, even though diatoms form only a small fraction of the phytoplankton biomass in the Sargasso Sea. Although the majority of gut items identified were phytoplankton cells, the relative biomass contribution of these small cells may be lower than that of zooplankton and detritus. Zooplankton on which the three species primarily preyed were protozoans and crustaceans, but also included other metazoans such as chaetognaths and cnidarians. Marine snow was also an important component of the diet in all three species, with typically >50% and rarely <20% of the gut content being olive-green debris. Marine snow from larvacean houses was found in the guts of all three species, while E. messinenis appeared to selectively consume marine snow aggregates enriched with bicapitate Nitzschia spp. Large cyanobacteria (>4 µm in diameter) found in guts were also likely consumed with marine snow. The species-specific differences in the diets of these three migrating species suggest that an individual species approach is important in determining how feeding habits affect the structure of pelagic food webs and carbon cycling in the sea. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-002-0815-8.     

Accumulation of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in planktonic copepods during a bloom of the toxic dinoflagellate<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Alexandrium tamarense</Emphasis> in Hiroshima Bay,western Japan

Concentrations of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in toxic dinoflagellate cells and in marine planktonic copepods were monitored during the bloom of Alexandrium tamarense in Hiroshima Bay, western Japan. Concentration of the toxins retained by copepods was a function of the ambient toxin concentration, i.e. the product of A. tamarense cell density and cellular toxicity. The toxin concentration in copepods increased with the increase of toxicants in the seawater then leveled off, but decreased significantly at higher concentrations. In the field, the maximum toxin concentration was 1.2 pmol ind^-1, whereas in the laboratory, the copepod Acartia omorii accumulated a much higher concentration of PSP toxins (24 pmol ind^-1). Feeding avoidance against Alexandrium tamarense and a shift to alternative food sources such as diatoms in the field might keep their toxin levels lower than their potentially maximum level. The copepod toxin levels in the field were not so high as to cause an instantaneous lethal effect on their predator fishes but may reach possibly lethal levels after a few days' continuous feeding. Overall toxin retention by copepods after 12 h feeding and 2 h starvation was only 2.5% of total ingested toxins, which suggested that a significant amount of toxins was released into the seawater. Measurements of toxin reduction and gut evacuation suggested that the toxins were removed through both fecal evacuation and metabolism (e.g. excretion, decomposition and transformation). The results, as a whole, imply that copepods can be a link for PSP toxin flux in both pelagic and benthic food webs and can also be a sink for toxins by metabolizing and removing them from the environment.Communicated by T. Ikeda, Hakodate     

Phytoplankton food quality determines time windows for successful zooplankton reproductive pulses

Recruitment success at the early life stages is a critical process for zooplankton demography. Copepods often dominate the zooplankton in marine coastal zones and are prey of the majority of fish larvae. Hypotheses interpreting variations of copepod recruitment are based on the concepts of "naupliar predation," "nutritional deficiency," and "toxic effect" of diatom diets. Contradictory laboratory and field studies have reached opposite conclusions on the effects of diatoms on copepod reproductive success, blurring our view of marine food-web energy flow from diatoms to higher consumers by means of copepods. Here we report estimates of copepod feeding selectivity and reproduction in response to seasonally changing phytoplankton characteristics measured in a highly productive coastal upwelling area off the coast of central Chile. The variable phytoplankton diversity and changing food quality had a strong and highly significant impact on the feeding selectivity, reproduction, and larval survival of three indigenous copepod species. Seasonal changes in copepod feeding behavior were related to the alternating protozoan-diatom diets, mostly based on dinoflagellates and ciliates during winter and autumn (low highly unsaturated fatty acids [HUFA]/polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA] availability), but switched to a diet of centric and chain-forming diatoms (high HUFA/PUFA availability) during the spring/summer upwelling period. Ingestion of diatom cells induced a positive effect on egg production. However, a negative relationship was found between egg hatching success, naupliar survival, and diatom ingestion. Depending on the phytoplankton species, diets had different effects on copepod reproduction and recruitment. In consequence, it seems that the classical marine food web model does not apply to some coastal upwelling systems.     

Potential for increased nutrient uptake by flocculating diatoms

Blooms of chain-forming diatoms commonly flocculate into centimeter-sized aggregates of living, vegetative cells following nutrient depletion in surface waters off southern California. We examined the hypothesis that diatom cells within aggregates experience increased nutrient uptake relative to unattached cells. We measured in situ settling velocities of 49 to 190 m d^–1 and calculated porosities of 0.99931 to 0.99984 (±>0.03%) for 12, newly-formed diatom flocs ranging from 0.19 to 4.2 cm³ in volume and 7 to 22 mm in equivalent spherical diameter. Using permeability-porosity relationships, we calculated intra-aggregate flow velocities of 20 to 160 m s^–1. Although subject to considerable uncertainty, a Relative Uptake Factor analysis based on mass transfer equqtions suggests that diatoms fixed within aggregates undergoing gravitational settling can take up nutrients up to 2.1±0.4 times faster than unattached diatoms experiencing laminar shear. Increased nutrient uptake by aggregated diatoms may be importan in understanding the reasons for diatom floc formation.     

Transfer of the chlorinated hydrocarbon PCB in a laboratory marine food chain

The transfer of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC) in a laboratory simulation of a three trophic level marine food chain was studied. The food chain consisted of the algal flagellate Dunaliella sp., the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, and the larva of the Northern anchovy Engraulis mordax. CHC were introduced into the seawater at concentrations representative of near-shore conditions off southern California without the use of dispersing agents. Each trophic level appeared to be in a steady-state at the time of first sampling, 5 days after inoculation. Apparent partition coefficients were calculated for each trophic level. The CHC contamination in the diet of the rotifers and anchovy larvae was also calculated. Unfed anchovy larvae accumulated the same amount of CHC as fed larvae and the final concentration appeared to be dependent on the CHC concentration in the seawater. The data in this report suggest that CHC accumulation is not a food-chain phenomenon but rather the result of direct partitioning of the compounds between the seawater and the test organisms.     

Influence of light and temperature on the photosynthetic rate of marine benthic diatoms

The influence of light and temperature on photosynthetic rate as measured by C¹⁴O₂-fixation of marine benthic diatoms was investigated, using both intact sediment samples (Marshall et al., 1973) and suspensions of diatoms harvested by a lenstissue technique (Eaton and Moss, 1966). After C¹⁴-incubation, sediment samples were filtered, burned in a sample oxidizer, and their activity determined in a liquid scintillation counter. Photosynthetic rate of mixed field populations is saturated by a light intensity of approximately 10,000 lux; at still higher light intensities no photoinhibition was found. In contrast to the mixed field populations, unialgal cultures of the benthic diatom Amphiprora alata Kütz. exhibited strong photoinhibition at higher light intensities (10,000 to 60,000 lux). Within a range of 4° to 20°C, the photosynthetic rate increased about 10%/C^o. No differences in photosynthetic pattern were observed between epipelic and epipsammic species.     

Oxygen as a limiting factor in phototaxis and in intraclonal spacing of the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima

Phototaxis in Anthopleura elegantissima, a sea anemone symbiotic with zooxanthellae, was investigated with special reference to oxygen as a possible controlling factor. Under high oxygen concentrations in seawater, movement towards light was not observed for symbiotic anamones as it was under normal oxygen concentrations. Both aposymbiotic and symbiotic anemones demonstrated movement towards high oxygen concentrations in seawater. Oxygen is, therefore, implicated as a controlling factor in phototaxis. Under laboratory conditions, increased intraclonal spacing occurred with low oxygen concentrations in seawater. In the field, individuals in symbiotic clones were spaced significantly closer than in aposymbiotic clones. Since intraclonal spacing is controlled by oxygen in the laboratory, spacing may also be affected in the field by oxygen; symbiotic clones may be spaced closer because they have better oxygen availability than do aposymbiotic clones.     

High recovery of culturable bacteria from the surfaces of marine algae

The culturability of heterotrophic marine bacteria obtained from the surfaces of two species of marine algae (Lobophora variegata andHalimeda copiosa) was assessed by comparing total DAPI-stained cell counts to colony-forming bacterial counts on two agar media. The colony-forming bacterial counts on a low-nutrient medium (LN) consisting of seawater and agar were significantly greater for both algal species than counts obtained on a high-nutrient medium (HN) similar in composition to that typically used for the isolation of heterotrophic marine bacteria. On average, 14 and 58%, respectively, of the total bacteria fromL. variegata andH. copiosa were culturable on LN. These recovery rates far exceed those typically reported for marine bacteria. Of 119 LN strains obtained in pure culture, 55% failed to grow on HN. The yeast extract component of HN (1.5 gl^-1) was responsible for the majority of the observed inhibition, suggesting that this nutrient can be highly toxic to marine bacteria. Eighty-nine percent of the strains inhibited by HN were capable of growth when the nutrients in this medium were diluted by a factor of 100 with seawater. Of 66 epiphytic strains, 30 (45%) initially inhibited by HN showed the ability to adapt to this medium after a period of laboratory handling. The initial inability of low-nutrient-adapted bacteria to grow on high-nutrient media may be due to nutrient shock. The results presented here indicate that the culturability of specific populations of marine bacteria can be dramatically improved by the use of low-nutrient media. Further, the importance of developing new medium formulations that eliminate traditional nutrients, some of which are clearly toxic to bacteria, is demonstrated.     

Identification of a novel di-unsaturated C25 highly branched isoprenoid in the marine tube-dwelling diatom Berkeleya rutilans

Highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs) are known to be biosynthesised by diatoms and are a common component of many marine and freshwater environments. However, the ability to produce these unusual hydrocarbons appears to be restricted to a few diatom species that are represented by just four genera (Haslea, Pleurosigma, Rhizosolenia and Navicula). Despite this, we routinely observe some HBIs in the natural environment that are absent from cultures of known HBI-producing diatoms, indicating the possibility of further sources. Having identified one commonly observed, yet unknown HBI isomer in estuarine sediments, we isolated and cultured diatoms in the laboratory to identify the source of this novel di-unsaturated C₂₅ HBI. Here, we show that analysis of purified extracts obtained from a laboratory culture of the tube-dwelling diatom Berkeleya rutilans enabled determination of the structure of this new compound by combined NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analysis. This represents the first identification of an HBI alkene within the Berkeleya genus and adds to the growing number of reports of genera that produce these unusual hydrocarbons. The newly characterised HBI diene appears to be common in marine sediments and has also been reported in a range of marine biota, thus making it a potential tracer of source organic matter, as has been found for other HBI alkenes.     

Using vertebrate environmental DNA from seawater in biomonitoring of marine habitats

Conservation and management of marine biodiversity depends on biomonitoring of marine habitats, but current approaches are resource-intensive and require different approaches for different organisms. Environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from water samples is an efficient and versatile approach to detecting aquatic animals. In the ocean, eDNA composition reflects local fauna at fine spatial scales, but little is known about the effectiveness of eDNA-based monitoring of marine communities at larger scales. We investigated the potential of eDNA to characterize and distinguish marine communities at large spatial scales by comparing vertebrate species composition among marine habitats in Qatar, the Arabian Gulf (also known as the Persian Gulf), based on eDNA metabarcoding of seawater samples. We conducted species accumulation analyses to estimate how much of the vertebrate diversity we detected. We obtained eDNA sequences from a diverse assemblage of marine vertebrates, spanning 191 taxa in 73 families. These included rare and endangered species and covered 36% of the bony fish genera previously recorded in the Gulf. Sites of similar habitat type were also similar in eDNA composition. The species accumulation analyses showed that the number of sample replicates was insufficient for some sampling sites but suggested that a few hundred eDNA samples could potentially capture >90% of the marine vertebrate diversity in the study area. Our results confirm that seawater samples contain habitat-characteristic molecular signatures and that eDNA monitoring can efficiently cover vertebrate diversity at scales relevant to national and regional conservation and management.     

Inhibition of diatom photosynthesis by germanic acid: Separation of diatom productivity from total marine primary productivity

Germanic acid was shown to inhibit photosynthetic ¹⁴CO₂ uptake in marine diatoms. Inhibition was not complete even at concentrations of 20 mg Ge/1 nor in cultures incubated for extended periods of time (up to 24 h). The decrease in photosynthesis due to Ge(OH)₄ was independent of the stage of growth of the diatom culture. At 0.5 and 1.0 mg Ge/1, the degree of inhibition was dependent on the concentration of Si(OH)₄ in the medium. At 5 and 10 mg Ge/1, inhibition was not affected by Si(OH)₄ concentrations as high as those found in the sea-120 g-at Si/1. The effect of Ge(OH)₄ on photosynthesis is specific for diatoms; other marine phytoplankton were not inhibited. In mixed cultures of diatoms and marine flagellates, the reduction in ¹⁴CO₂ fixation upon addition of Ge(OH)₄ was used to calculated the proportion of diatom photosynthesis to total photosynthesis, and calculated proportions agreed well with actual proportions. Inhibition by Ge(OH)₄ was also used to estimate the percent of diatom photosynthesis in a natural marine community, and this was compared with the diatom portion of the crop. Diatom photosynthesis was higher than one might expect from crop figures, although both diatom photosynthesis and diatom numbers in the crop were low.     

Trace metal ingestion and assimilation by the green mussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perna viridis </Emphasis>in a phytoplankton and sediment mixture

We examined trace metal ingestion and assimilation (Cd, Se, Zn) by the green mussel Perna viridis in a mixture of diatoms and sediment at concentrations below and above the pseudofeces production levels. Dual gamma radiotracers (¹⁰⁹Cd, ⁶⁵Zn) were used to investigate particle selection on marine diatoms and sediments. The diatom (Thalassiosira weissflogii) was radiolabeled with ¹⁰⁹Cd, and the natural sediment was radiolabeled with ⁶⁵Zn. By comparing the ratios of ¹⁰⁹Cd:⁶⁵Zn in the particle mixture, mussel tissues and pseudofeces within a short-term exposure period (35 min), the results demonstrated that the green mussels were able to selectively ingest the diatom particles at a high particle load. Efficiency of selection for nutritious particles (e.g. diatoms) increased with increasing ratio of sediments in the particle mixture. Pseudofeces contained a higher ratio of sediments relative to that in the feeding suspension. No major particle selection was observed at concentrations below the level for pseudofeces production. The assimilation of Cd, Se and Zn by the green mussels was quantified using a pulse-chase feeding technique. The assimilation of Se and Zn by the green mussels from ingested diatoms was reduced with the presence of sediment within the mussel gut, presumably due to the resorption of metals onto the sediment, leading to a quicker passage of metals through the digestive tract and a lower proportion of metals subjected to intensive digestion. In contrast, the presence of diatoms did not significantly affect metal assimilation from ingested sediment. A significant correlation between metal assimilation efficiency and metal gut passage time was also observed. Metal assimilation by the green mussels appeared to be little dependent on the particle concentration in seawater. Our study suggests that particle selection may potentially alter metal influx from ingested food sources, particularly at high particle concentrations. Selective feeding of nutritious particles, coupled with a high assimilation efficiency from these ingested particles, may increase metal influx into mussels from the dietary phase.     

Studies on water-extractable carbohydrates of the particulate matter from the northwest Pacific Ocean

We have studied carbohydrate metabolism in the marine environment by means of the isolation and characterization of carbohydrates of particulate matter from various depths. The present work is especially concerned with water-extractable carbohydrates of the particulate samples from 11 stations of the northwest Pacific Ocean. Water-extractable carbohydrate content in the particulate matter of the surface waters was measured; it ranged from 19.2 to 36.0% of the total particulate carbohydrate. These values decreased, ranging from 6.5 to 15.5% at 50 m depth. Such rapid vertical change of the concentration of the carbohydrate indicated that it was lost from the particulate matter much faster than the other particulate organic constituents such as protein and water-insoluble carbohydrate. This process left water-insoluble carbohydrate in the deep-water particulate matter as previously observed in the Sagami Nada, off eastern Honshu, Japan. Upon acid hydrolysis, water-extractable carbohydrate revealed glucose ranging from 67.0 to 84.2%. Rhamnose, fucose, ribose, arabinose, xylose, mannose and galactose were also identified as components of the carbohydrate fraction. Carbohydrate studies on the laboratory cultured diatoms clearly indicated that the water-extractable carbohydrates were food reserve materials of the diatoms. In view of this fact, the metabolism of the water-extractable carbohydrate in the euphotic zone and its underlying layer is discussed.     

Species-specific sedimentation and sinking velocities of diatoms

Sedimentation rates were determined for various diatom species, and both average and maximum sinking velocities of sedimenting diatoms were calculated during a spring bloom investigation in the central Baltic Sea in 1986. Up to 25 and 50% of theChaetoceros spp. andThalassiosira levanderi populations, respectively, sedimented daily. Daily sedimentation rates of other diatoms, dinoflagellates andMesodinium rubrum, however, were less than 1% of their respective standing stocks. TheT. levanderi population was divided into two subpopulations: while one was sinking, the second was actively dividing (recognizable by paired-cell stages) with a specific growth rate of >0.2 to 0.3 d^–1. These paired cells were never found in sediment trap samples. The average sinking velocity ofChaetoceros spp. was 15 to 30 m d^–1; that ofT. levanderi was higher. The maximum sinking velocity of cells was at least 70 m d^–1. According to these observations, the formation of aggregates (which enhances sinking velocity), and their sedimentation, represent a highly selective process. This indicates that diatom aggregates do not act as roving filters, sweeping the water clear while sinking.     

Killing of marine phytoplankton by a gliding bacterium Cytophaga sp., isolated from the coastal sea of Japan

A marine gliding bacterium Cytophaga sp. (strain J18/M01) was isolated from Harima-Nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan in 1990. This bacterium preys upon various species of marine phytoplankton. All of the five raphidophycean flagellates, all of the four diatoms, and one of the two dinoflagellates examined were killed within a few days when cultured with the bacterium. The bacterium presumably achieves this by direct attack, because the culture filtrate in which host organisms were totally destroyed had no significant effects on the growth of the same host organism (Chattonella antiqua). If one or a few bacterial cells were inoculated into C. antiqua culture, all of the host organisms were killed. The bacterium proliferated in filter-sterilized seawater, suggesting its ubiquitous existence in the coastal sea. The killing of phytoplankton by bacteria such as Cytophaga sp. J18/M01 may be a significant factor influencing the population dynamics of phytoplankton in nature and may contribute to the sudden disappearance of red tides in the coastal sea. Bacterial destruction of phytoplankton may also be a factor that regulates primary productivity in marine ecosystems.     

Ontogenetic feeding shifts in the meiobenthic harpacticoid copepod Nitocra lacustris

¹⁴C-radiolabelling experiments indicate that adult stages of the salt-marsh harpacticoid copepod Nitocra lacustris (Schmankevitsch) receive a large part of their nutrition through the ingestion and assimilation of certain diatoms. An abundance of empty diatom frustules occurs in the gutpellet contents of field-collected individuals. Naupliar stages do not ingest diatoms in the laboratory, and nauplii from the field do not contain frustules in their gut pellets. Ingestion of diatoms in the laboratory first occurs during the second or third copepodite stage. ³H-radiolabel expeiments and grazing experiments using bacterium-sized beads adhering to the diatoms indicated that both adults and nauplii ingest bacteria adhering to the outer mucus coating of the diatoms (and probably ingest the diatom mucus itself). Adults ingest bacteria (and probably mucus exopolymer) coincidently while ingesting diatoms. The nauplii ingest these components by scraping the outer surface of the diatoms. SEM observations indicate that diatoms are not punctured by the nauplii during feeding. While diatom mucus and associated bacteria play an (as yet unquantified) role in the nutrition of the adults, these components may comprise the bulk of food resources for naupliar stages.     

Algal plating as a tool for investigating allelopathy among marine microalgae

Chemical interactions among marine microalgae were studied in cultures of pennate diatoms on agar plates. Nine marine and freshwater pennate diatoms were surveyed as potential bioassay organisms; Cylindrotheca fusiformis was most favourable for assays because of its rapid and even growth on agar. Diatom and bacterial bioassays were used to screen cell and filtrate extracts of 14 microalgal cultures. A number of these algal species, which were grown axenically, produced extractable, intracellular and/or extracellular substances that inhibited the growth of C. fusiformis. Our results suggest that the culturing of pennate diatoms on a solid medium can provide a simple bioassay for screening algal extracts which potentially contain growth inhibitors involved in microalgal allelopathy.