Bacterioplankton dynamics along the gradient from highly eutrophic Pearl River Estuary to oligotrophic northern South China Sea in wet season: implication for anthropogenic inputs

Abstract

Bacterioplankton abundance (BA) and biomass (BB) from the eutrophic Pearl River Estuary (PRE) to the oligotrophic northern South China Sea (NSCS) were studied in the wet season. BA was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in PRE (12.51 ± 3.52 x 10⁸ cells L⁻¹), than in the continental shelf neritic province (CSNP, 4.95 ± 2.21 x 10⁸ cells L⁻¹) and in the deep oceanic province (OP, 3.16 ± 1.56 x 10⁸ cells L⁻¹). Nutrient-replete PRE waters (DIN > 100 μM and PO₄ > 1 μM) resulted in high chl a and BB, whereas nutrient-depleted offshore waters (DIN < 5 μM and PO₄ < 0.5 μM) had low biomass. Temperature (> 26 °C) was not the controlling factor of BA. BB was significantly correlated with chl a biomass both in PRE and NSCS. The bacteria to phytoplankton biomass (BB/PB) ratio increased clearly along the gradient from near-shore PRE (0.15) to offshore CSNP (0.93) and deep OP (2.75), indicating the important role of small cells in the open ocean compared to estuarine and coastal zones.