Contribution of Marine Microbes to Particulate Organic Matter in the Korea Strait

To assess the relative contribution of bacterial and phytoplankton biomasses to particulate organic matter (POM) in the water column, microbial abundance and biomass were from two transects in the western channel of the Korea Strait in 1996. Bacterial abundance had a mean value of $5.9{\times}10^5$ cells/ml and chlorophyll-a averaged 0.14 ${\mu}g/l$. Bacterial abundance in the Korea Strait showed a positive relationship with chlorophyll-a concentration, while the distribution of POM did not covary with chlorophyll-a. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) concentrations were greater in August than in October. Bacterial carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) concentrations were greater in August than in October. Bacterial carbon and nitrogen biomasses were 7.29 ${\mu}gC/l$ and 1.24 ${\mu}gN/l$, respectively, during the study periods. Bacterial biomass was larger in October than in August due to the autumn phytoplankton bloom. Phytoplankton biomass based on chlorophyll-a was 7.67 ${\mu}gC/l$ for carbon and 1.10${\mu}gN/l$l for nitrogen. The ratio of bacterial carbon (BC) to phytoplankton carbon (Cp) averaged 0.95 in the Korea Strait in 1996. Bacteria may play a more significant role in the dynamics of POM than phytoplankton do in August, with BC/Cp ratio of 1.26. The ratio of BC to Cp increased with a decrease in chlorophyll-a concentration. Averaged over all the samples in both cruises, the contribution of microbial biomass to POC and PON was about 43% and 51%, respectively. Bacterial assemblage constituted a significant fraction of POC (21%) and PON (27%). Phytoplankton accounted for 22% of POC and 24% of PON. Microbial biomass played a more important role in the dynamics of POC and PON in October than in August due to a significant increase in microbial biomass in the southern transect (transect-B) in October by the autumn phytoplankton bloom. This study showed that marine microbes may constitute a significant part in the reservoir of POM in the Korea Strait.