[Variation of ecological status of Norwegian Sea water determined from hydrolytic enzyme activities]

The capacity of biopolymer transformation involving efficient and highly specific natural enzyme mechanisms was studied in seawater of the dynamic zone of the Norwegian Sea (the Voring Plateau region). Vertical and spatial variation of proteinase and amylase activities was demonstrated in seawater and the potential rates of degradation of specific substrates, azocasein and Procion-5CX-modified starch, were calculated. High proteolytic activity was demonstrated for the upper photic layer (0-10 m) in the southwestern part of the polygon (up to 88 U/l; v(pr) = 7.04 mg/l/h). Proteolytic activity in the abyssal layer (1500 m and below) sharply decreased to 8-16 U/1; v(pr) = 0.64-1.28 mg/l/h. Similar to other regions of the ocean, the pattern of amylase activity in seawater included low rates of polysaccharide destruction (0-4 U/I; v(st) = 0-0.2 mg/l/h) in water with high proteolytic capacity and, conversely, the top amylase activity (up to 246-490 U/l; v(st) 12.3-24.5 mg/l/h) in seawater layers with undetectable or low proteolytic activity. The spatial distribution of the enzyme activities can indicate the presence of water bodies of different genesis. In the southwestern part of the polygon, statistical analysis demonstrated high correlation between hydrophysical indices (temperature, salinity, and salinity gradient) and proteinase and amylase activities. The ecological evaluation based on express enzyme-substrate tests demonstrated a stressful situation for destruction of organic compounds of protein nature in both the photic layer and the layers below 1000 m (t(pr) > or = 10 h).