The contribution of different bacterial groups in the carbon flow through the microbial food web
We conducted three seasonal experiments in the coastal area of the central Adriatic with the aim of determining the contribution of selected bacterial groups to carbon flow through the microbial food web in an oligotrophic environment. We assessed the growth rates of five bacterial groups (Bacteroidota, overall Alphaproteobacteria, SAR11, Rhodobacteraceae, and Gammaproteobacteria), as well as aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs, and their contributions to biomass production and carbon transfer to upper trophic levels. Additionally, we compared environmental variables with bacterial community composition, activity, bacterial biomass production, and grazing rates.