Azzaro M
Italy
Research Article
Patterns of Prokaryotic Activities and Abundance among the Epi-Meso and Bathypelagic Zones of the Southern-Central Tyrrhenian Sea
Author(s): Caruso G, Monticelli LS, La Ferla R, Maimone G, Azzaro M, Azzaro F, Decembrini F, De Pasquale F, Leonardi M, Raffa F, Zappalà G and De Domenico ECaruso G, Monticelli LS, La Ferla R, Maimone G, Azzaro M, Azzaro F, Decembrini F, De Pasquale F, Leonardi M, Raffa F, Zappalà G and De Domenico E
The southern- central Tyrrhenian Sea is a poorly studied area of the Mediterranean Sea, although its importance for the biological fluxes among the western and eastern basins is recognised. This note aimed at evaluating in the waters of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea the efficiency of some steps of the organic matter processing (enzymatic hydrolysis, prokaryotic production and oxidation) and the role played by the prokaryotic community in this context. During the MEDBIO multidisciplinary cruise performed in July 2005, the distribution of prokaryotic abundance and activities (exo enzymatic activity, heterotrophic production and respiratory activity) was studied. The results showed the presence of high exo enzymatic activity rates (mostly leucine amino peptidase) in the deep sea, while heterotrophic production and respiratory activity rates were high at surface. Some speculations on the di.. View More»
