Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) link phytoplankton and bacterial production in the gulf of aqaba

Bar-Zeev, E; Berman-Frank, I; Stambler, N; Domínguez, EV; Zohary, T; Capuzzo, E; Meeder, E; Suggett, DJ; Iluz, D; Dishon, G; Berman, T

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) link phytoplankton and bacterial production in the gulf of aqaba

Bar-Zeev, E Berman-Frank, I Stambler, N Domínguez, EV Zohary, T Capuzzo, E Meeder, E Suggett, DJ

Iluz, D Dishon, G Berman, T

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 2009, 56 (2-3), pp. 217 - 225
Issue Date:: 2009-09-22

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bar-Zeev, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Berman-Frank, I	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Stambler, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Domínguez, EV	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zohary, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Capuzzo, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Meeder, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Suggett, DJ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5326-2520	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Iluz, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dishon, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Berman, T	en_US
dc.date.issued	2009-09-22	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 2009, 56 (2-3), pp. 217 - 225	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0948-3055	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/28860
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/35627
dc.description.abstract	Variations in transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), bacterial biomass production (BP) and primary productivity (PP) were followed over 52 h at a deep water station in the Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat, Israel) during the spring, in April 2008. About 20 h after the start of the study, there was a short (̃15 h) but intense storm event that probably caused a nutrient pulse and, subsequently, a brief outgrowth of diatoms in the euphotic layer. Concentrations of TEP and BP ranged from 23 to 228 μg gum xanthan equivalents l-1 and from 0.2 to 0.6 μg C l-1 h-1, respectively. Concentrations of TEP and BP were measured in unfiltered and in GF/C (1.2 μm)-prefiltered samples. Most of the TEP (59 ± 21% of total TEP, mean ± SD) were in the smaller (GF/C-filtered) size fraction (0.4-1.2 μm); however, after the crash of the diatom bloom, the majority of TEP were in the ≥1.2 μm size fraction. In the GF/Cfiltered fraction, BP averaged 59 ± 12% and 93 ± 5% of total BP in the upper water column and from 300 m, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between TEP and BP, suggesting that active heterotrophic bacteria may have been associated with these particles. During the 3 d of our study, PP and BP in the euphotic zone averaged 480 and 225 mg C m-2 d-1, respectively, suggesting that about half or more of the primary produced carbon was metabolized by heterotrophic bacteria in the upper water column. Coincident with strong mixing caused by the storm, TEP concentrations decreased in the surface water and increased at depth. We suggest that TEP acted to link carbon flux between the primary producers and heterotrophic bacteria, and that the downward movement of TEP from the upper water layers may be an important process in transferring organic carbon to deeper waters of the Gulf of Aquaba. Sinking TEP could provide not only organic carbon substrates for associated bacteria but also form 'hot spots' of elevated microbial metabolism and nutrient cycling throughout the water column. © Inter-Research 2009.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Aquatic Microbial Ecology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3354/ame01322	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	en_US
dc.title	Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) link phytoplankton and bacterial production in the gulf of aqaba	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2-3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	56	en_US
utslib.for	060504 Microbial Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0605 Microbiology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.declined	2015-05-07T15:15:09.873+1000
pubs.deleted	2015-05-07T15:15:10.6+1000
pubs.issue	2-3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	56	en_US

Abstract:

Variations in transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), bacterial biomass production (BP) and primary productivity (PP) were followed over 52 h at a deep water station in the Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat, Israel) during the spring, in April 2008. About 20 h after the start of the study, there was a short (̃15 h) but intense storm event that probably caused a nutrient pulse and, subsequently, a brief outgrowth of diatoms in the euphotic layer. Concentrations of TEP and BP ranged from 23 to 228 μg gum xanthan equivalents l-1 and from 0.2 to 0.6 μg C l-1 h-1, respectively. Concentrations of TEP and BP were measured in unfiltered and in GF/C (1.2 μm)-prefiltered samples. Most of the TEP (59 ± 21% of total TEP, mean ± SD) were in the smaller (GF/C-filtered) size fraction (0.4-1.2 μm); however, after the crash of the diatom bloom, the majority of TEP were in the ≥1.2 μm size fraction. In the GF/Cfiltered fraction, BP averaged 59 ± 12% and 93 ± 5% of total BP in the upper water column and from 300 m, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between TEP and BP, suggesting that active heterotrophic bacteria may have been associated with these particles. During the 3 d of our study, PP and BP in the euphotic zone averaged 480 and 225 mg C m-2 d-1, respectively, suggesting that about half or more of the primary produced carbon was metabolized by heterotrophic bacteria in the upper water column. Coincident with strong mixing caused by the storm, TEP concentrations decreased in the surface water and increased at depth. We suggest that TEP acted to link carbon flux between the primary producers and heterotrophic bacteria, and that the downward movement of TEP from the upper water layers may be an important process in transferring organic carbon to deeper waters of the Gulf of Aquaba. Sinking TEP could provide not only organic carbon substrates for associated bacteria but also form 'hot spots' of elevated microbial metabolism and nutrient cycling throughout the water column. © Inter-Research 2009.

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