Microbial biomass in the coastal plume of Chesapeake Bay: Phytoplankton‐bacterioplankton relationships

Turnover rate of suspended organic matter (POC) increased seasonally with temperature as the proportions of POC accounted for by bacterioplankton increased relative to phytoplankton. The proportion of phytoplankton productivity that cycled through bacterioplankton averaged 13% and showed little seasonal variability. These results imply changes in the pathways and rates by which phytoplankton and bacterioplankton production were consumed or exported from the plume. Time series of 1–3 d next to surface drifters within the plume provided some insight into the nature of these changes. In February when the turnover rate of POC was low, phytoplankton biomass declined relative to bacterioplankton due to sedimentation of large diatoms. Low bacterioplankton biomass was associated with high rates of predation by heterotrophic microflagellates. In August when POC was turning over rapidly, phytoplankton biomass declined relative to bacterioplankton due to selective grazing by copepods. High bacterioplankton biomass appeared to be a consequence of enhanced DOC flux associated with high copepod grazing and POC turnover rates as well as with low predation by heterotrophic microflagellates.