Accumulation of degradable DOC in surface waters: Is it caused by a malfunctioning microbialloop?

• DOI: 10.4319/lo.1997.42.2.0398
• Publication Date: 2010-05-25T23:58:58Z
• Authors: T. Frede Thingstad; Åke HagstrÖm; Fereidoun Rassoul...
• Keywords: Downwelling; Microbial food web; Microbial loop; Carbon fibers

Recent literature indicates that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may accumulate in productive surface waters. Such accumulation will allow export of DOC to the aphotic zone by diffusion and downwelling. As an alternative models based on low degradability, we here propose a mechanism where bacterial consumption is restricted due food web mechanisms controlling both growth biomass bacteria: rate kept bacteria‐phytoplankton competition for mineral nutrients, predators. With such mechanism, otherwise degradable material become subject chemical transformation vertical transport. The steady‐states model describing interactions between heterotrophic bacteria, phytoplankton, bacterivorous protozoa used explore how balance production shifts along gradient from oligotrophy eutrophy.