Microbial food webs in the East China Sea

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Picoplankton biomass was larger than nanoplankton biomass in every sampling station. Autotrophic pico- and nanoplankton decreased with depth, while heterotrophic ones did not showed conspicuous decrease. Correlation between autotrophic picoplankton and heterotrophic nanoplankton was significantly positive and, therefore, these two plankters have the same characters for their favorable environments.Total microplankton biomass was slightly larger in the eastern side of East China Sea and partition of micro-diatom was distinctively larger in the same region. Maximum layer of total microplankton occurred shallower than that of chlorophyll a. Naked cells dominated in both dinoflagellate and ciliate groups.Among ciliate plankters, subclass Choreotrichia, especially, suborder Oligotrichina dominated in the surface layer. These ciliates decreased with depth and other subclass ciliates were dominant in the deeper layer. Loricated ciliate, suborder Tintinnina, was subordinated throughout the water column in every station. Some ciliates were identified into species level and each individual showed different occurrence pattern against salinity and temperature.