Major and comparable roles for free-living and attached bacteria in the degradation of Phaeocystis -derived organic matter in Belgian coastal waters of the North Sea

Microbial degradation of Phaeocystis globosa colonies and their derived organic matter by free-living and attached bacteria was investigated in Belgian coastal waters during the spring development of diatom- Phaeocystis colonies in 1994. Results obtained show concomitant evolution of hydrolytic ectoprotease and b-ectoglucosidase ectoenzymatic activities with respect to the phytoplankton bloom, suggesting that the low biodegradability of Phaeocystis colonies leading to transient accumulations of Phaeocystis -derived material in the coastal North Sea was not due to a lag phase required for the i... Mehr ...