title: Bacterioplankton dynamics along the gradient from highly eutrophic Pearl River Estuary to oligotrophic northern South China Sea in wet season: implication for anthropogenic inputs.
abstract: Bacterioplankton abundance (BA) and biomass (BB) from the eutrophic Pearl River Estuary (PRE) to the oligotrophic northern South China Sea (NSCS) were studied in the wet season. BA was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in PRE (12.51 ± 3.52 x 10⁸ cells L⁻¹), than in the continental shelf neritic province (CSNP, 4.95 ± 2.21 x 10⁸ cells L⁻¹) and in the deep oceanic province (OP, 3.16 ± 1.56 x 10⁸ cells L⁻¹). Nutrient-replete PRE waters (DIN > 100 μM and PO₄ > 1 μM) resulted in high chl a and BB, whereas nutrient-depleted offshore waters (DIN < 5 μM and PO₄ < 0.5 μM) had low biomass. Temperature (> 26 °C) was not the controlling factor of BA. BB was significantly correlated with chl a biomass both in PRE and NSCS. The bacteria to phytoplankton biomass (BB/PB) ratio increased clearly along the gradient from near-shore PRE (0.15) to offshore CSNP (0.93) and deep OP (2.75), indicating the important role of small cells in the open ocean compared to estuarine and coastal zones.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization (LMB), Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics (LED) and Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China. whzhou@scsio.ac.cn
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shaoyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Liangmin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chuanghua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D002681:China; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005068:Eutrophication; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D010933:Plankton / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D009584:Nitrogen; D000077194:Chlorophyll A