Chemical and Microbiological Characterization of Phytoplankton Decay

这项研究旨在确定基本信息， 水体中特定藻类生物标志物的稳定性。 研究问题包括：1）各种化学课程如何 随着时间的推移而发生质和量的变化; 2） 特定化合物变化的时间框架以及 有机物的化学定义类别和3）什么是有机物？ 微生物过程在通过攻击 特定的浮游植物碳池。 该项目是一个综合的多学科方法，旨在 预测光合作用产生的有机物的命运 在海洋水体中。 严格控制的实验室 研究人员正在追踪藻类化学成分的变化 残留物（作为不同的脂质、色素、碳水化合物和氨基） 酸）由微生物群落介导。 测量 细菌生物量、生产和代谢正在进行， 串联提供特定相关的降解速率 化合物. 正在进行的单藻培养实验已经 扩大到包括甲藻，目前正在接受 作为有机碳的主要生产者， 沿海海洋系统。 单藻群落的结果将是 与实验室培养物和野外采集的混合物相比， 其组成可以预测和验证的社区。 的 研究验证了一个假设，即高度不稳定的 物种通过以下方式控制混合群落的降解速率 增强微生物代谢。

This research is designed to determine fundamental information on the stability of specific algal biomarkers in the water column. Research questions include: 1) how do various chemical classes change qualitatively and quantitatively over time; 2) what is the time frame for alteration of specific compounds as well as chemically defined classes of organic matter and 3) What is the role of microbial processes in mediating the changes by attacking specific pools of phytoplankton carbon. This project is an integrated, multidisciplinary approach aimed at predicting the fate of photosynthetically produced organic matter in the marine water column. Carefully controlled laboratory studies are tracking the changes in chemical composition of algal remains (as distinct lipids, pigments, carbohydrates and amino acids) mediated by the microbial community. Measurements of bacterial biomass, production and metabolism are being conducted in tandem to provide degradation rates for specific relevant compounds. Ongoing experiments with unialgal cultures have been extended to include a dinoflagellate, currently receiving considerable attention as a major producer of organic carbon in coastal marine systems. Results with unialgal communities will be compared to mixtures of laboratory cultures and field collected communities whose composition can be predicted and verified. The research tests the hypothesis that the decay of highly labile species control the degradative rates for a mixed community through enhanced microbial metabolism.