Microbial synthesis of macroparticulate matter

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Abstract
From a re-examination of the role of microorganisms in de novo particle synthesis in seawater, evidence is presented that the presence of active bacteria is necessary for aggregate formation. Particle formation, in filtered seawater kept idle, circulated and bubbled (without or with additional dissolved organic matter [DOM] or dissolved organic matter + particular organic matter), occurred only in the presence of bacteria. Bacteria growing at the expense of DOM present formed large particles > 100 .mu. by aggregation (bacterial aggregates) as well as by the aggregation of smaller particles into larger ones (bacterio-particle aggregates) > 1 mm. Parallel killed treatments did not show any particle formation of the type of Baylor and Sutcliffe (1963), Sheldon et al. (1967) or Krank and Milligan (1980). This phenomenon of microbial macroparticulate matter synthesis could be the major pathway by which C and energy is transferred from the micro to the macro food webs in aquatic ecosystems.