Heterotrophic activities of bacterioplankton and bacteriobenthos

Several marine waters and surface sediments of coastal British Columbia were analyzed and compared for bacterial colony forming units (CFU) and numbers of active bacteria (NAB) as indicated by microautoradiography, glucose and alanine heterotrophic activities, and dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC). Bacteria numbers (CFU, NAB) were usually much greater (by several orders of magnitude) in surface sediments than in overlying waters. DOC and POC were also generally greater in surface sediments than in overlying waters, often by as much as one order of magnitude. Both glucose and alanine heterotrophic potentials were greater in surface sediments; however, on a per active cell (NAB) basis, no significant differences were noted between the glucose-specific activities of the bacteria of the surface sediments and overlying waters. The data suggest that these surface sediments carry greater standing crops of bacteria than overlying waters without significant decreases in glucose-specific activities.