Seasonal dynamics of dissolved organic matter and microbial activity in the coastal North Sea

Author(s)
Eva Sintes Elvelin, Karin Stoderegger, Veronica Parada, Gerhard Herndl
Abstract

The dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial activity were monitored in the coastal North Sea over an annual cycle. DOM accumulated during the spring bloom towards the summer, associated with high phytoplankton extracellular release. Accumulation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) occurred from April to June. During this period, based on the bacterial carbon demand (BCD) of the free-living bacteria and the photosynthetic extracellular release (PER), 85 mu M C were derived from sources other than direct. DOC release by phytoplankton. Thereafter, from the end of August until December, the DOM concentrations decreased by about hall. During this period, at least 269 mu M C was removed from the system via the utilization by the bacterial community and/or sedimentation and export. Overall, our data indicate a pronounced seasonal shift in DOM sources supporting BCD. From spring to summer, BCD is almost fully supported by PER alone while in fall and winter, BCD is supported about equally by PER and by the DOM accumulated in the spring-summer period and originating presumably from a variety of DOM production mechanisms.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Journal
Aquatic Microbial Ecology
Volume
60
Pages
85-95
No. of pages
11
ISSN
0948-3055
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01404
Publication date
2010
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106022 Microbiology, 106047 Animal ecology
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/seasonal-dynamics-of-dissolved-organic-matter-and-microbial-activity-in-the-coastal-north-sea(0de34c29-20f4-422e-9018-4d919fe6c15d).html