The excretion of dissolved organic matter by natural phytoplankton populations in bioassays with nutrients

Abstract

Measurements of excreted dissolved organic matter (DOM) were carried out twice (in simmer and winter) using natural phytoplankton populations from "Enseada do Flamengo" (Lot. 23° 30'S-Long. 045°069'W) and enriched artificially with nutrients. The bioassays were carried out inoculating samples of an integral sea water in ten liters flasks, incubated "in situ". Measures were taken in populations growing in: integral " f " media, "f" - N, "f" - P, "f" - (H + P), "f" - (Vit. + Metal traces), and in a control without enrichment. The absolute amount of excreted DOM generally followed the quantity of total carbon assimilated. In the meantime, with the populations with nitrogen deficiency occurred an increase of relatives rates of excretion, not only due to the total carbon assimilation diminution, but effectively also to the absolute increase of the quantity of excreted DOM.