Microbial activities in sediments around laing island (Papua New Guinea)
Poulicek, M.; Bussers, J.-C.; Vandewalle, P. (1993). Microbial activities in sediments around laing island (Papua New Guinea). Belg. J. Zool. 123(Suppl. 1): 61
In: Belgian Journal of Zoology. Koninklijke Belgische Vereniging voor Dierkunde = Société royale zoologique de Belgique: Gent. ISSN 0777-6276; e-ISSN 2295-0451, more
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| Keywords |
Analysis > Microbiological analysis
Sediments
ISEW, Papua New Guinea [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top |
- Poulicek, M., more
- Bussers, J.-C., more
- Vandewalle, P.
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| Abstract |
During a five week mission in Laing island (Papua New Guinea) in November and early December 1992, 50 sedimentary samples were gathered by scuba diving around the reef, in the lagoon, in Hansa bay and on the reef of Boïsa island. 10 transects were covered from the upper reef down to 30 meters. Additiona1 samples were gathered by hand sampling on the reef platform and on the beaches. Fresh pore water was extracted and assayed for microbial ATP biomass, alkaline and acidic phosphatase activities (used as index of metabolic activity) and 16 hydrolases activities (lipolytic activities [3], proteolytic activities [5] and glycolytic activities [8]) using a-naphtol coupled artificial substrates. The activities appear largely heterogeneous: ATP biomass is much higher in the lagoon stations than anywhere else, but the communities of the micro-organisms are less active (the metabolic and heterotrophic indexes are low). On the other hand, on the beaches and on the reef platform, the less abundant micro-organisms (low ATP biomass) are much more active (high metabolic and heterotrophic indexes). Deeper sediments appear to have lower ATP biomass and low activities. Everywhere lipolytic and proteolytic activities dominate the hydrolases except in one station. Lipolysis appears particularly important in the lagoon. In a future work (V. Bollinne and M.Poulicek, in prep.) the microbial activities will be correlated with sedimentary characteristics (grain size and sorting, nature of grains, organic content). |
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