EFFECT OF SUSPENSION AND SEDIMENTATION ON THE AMOUNT OF MICROBIAL COLONIZATION OF SALT-MARSH MICRODETRITUS

The relative density of bacterial colonization of small (5 to 40 μ diameter) suspended and sedimented detritus particles in salt marsh creeks was studied using an europium chelate-fluorescent brightener stain coupled with epifluorescent microscopy. Particles were obtained from four substations at each of three sites in salt marshes bordering the York River, Virginia. Coverage of detrital particles by bacteria was uniformly low, averaging 1.54%±1.83% of the particle surface area. Suspended particles larger than 10 μ diameter had lower bacterial densities than did sedimented particles in the same size ranges. It is speculated that microbial growth may be enhanced on sedimented particles both through lack of motion and access to greater nutrient concentrations. © 1979 Estuarine Research Federation.