Distribution and relation of total bacteria, active bacteria, bacterivory, and volume of organic detritus in Atlantic continental shelf waters off Cape Hatteras NC, USA

During the Ocean Margins Program, we obtained data on the abundances of bacterioplankton and heterotrophic flagellates, and on rates of bacterivory, across the mid-Atlantic continental shelf off Cape Hatteras, NC, during four spring and summer cruises from 1993 to 1996. Bacterial and grazing parameters were compared for inner, middle, and outer shelf regions. In 1996, we sampled during two seasons: early spring (March) and mid-summer (July), and in addition determined the fractions of in situ bacterioplankton that had visible nucleoids (NV cells), or that had highly active electron transport systems (ETS), i.e. that were positive for reduction of the fluorogenic formazan compound, 5 cyano-2,3 ditolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC+ cells), as well as the volumetric concentration of organic detrital particles. Detrital volumes and abundances of bacterioplankton and of heterotrophic flagellates, varied by an order of magnitude, and decreased from inshore to offshore shelf regions. In 1996, bacterial abundances and percentages of CTC+ cells were higher across the shelf during the early spring bloom season (March) compared to the post-bloom season (July). In March 1996, percentages of bacterial cells with visible nucleoids varied between 20% and 70%, but showed little change across the shelf; while fractions of total bacteria with highly active ETS were lower and more variable (1–16% CTC+ cells), and on average were twice as high in the inner shelf region compared to the rest of the shelf. Percentages of CTC+ cells were also higher for particle-associated bacteria. There was a strong positive relationship between percent CTC+ cells and volume of organic detrital particles. However, % CTC+ cells and detrital volume were not consistently related to either bulk particulate organic carbon or chlorophyll. Bacterivory, assessed via rate of ingestion of fluorescently labeled bacteria, could remove 2–9% (4–18% accounting for motile cells) of total bacterial stocks per day. If bacterivores selectively grazed CTC+ bacteria, then bacterivory could result in turnover of CTC+ cells at rates on the order of 0.4–1.4 d−1.