The Role of Bacteria in Marine Food Web

M. Šolić, Nada Krstulović

Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, P.O.Box 500, 58000 Split, Croatia

Article history:
Received June 15, 1994
Accepted September 26, 1994

Summary:
Biomass and production of bacteria and heterotrophic nan-oflagcllatcs (HNF) as well as grazing on bacteria were measured seasonally during 1992/93 in Kaštela Bay (Adriatic Sea). Strong seasonality of all studied parameters was established with maximum values obtained during the warmer summer-autumn period. In that period bacteria showed a twofold higher production while HNF showed a threefold higher biomass and ninefold higher production then during colder winter-spring period. Moreover, bacterial predators showed sevenfold higher grazing on bacteria in warmer period. During the summer-autumn period bacterial carbon daily flux through predator organisms was higher than bacterial biomass pool, while in the colder period bacterial daily flux accounted only for 8% of presented biomass pool. These results suggest thai during the summer-autumn period in Kaštela Bay, bacteria could be an important link between primary production and higher trophic levels.