Grazing on bacteria by flagellates and cladocerans in lakes of contrasting food-web structure

We tested the hypothesis that grazing on bacteria would varybetween lakes with differing plankton community structures.Paul and Tuesday lakes (Gogebic County, MI) are respectivelydominated by piscivorous and planktivorous fish. Consequently,zooplankton in Paul are primarily large daphnids, while zooplanktonin Tuesday are primarily small cladocerans and copepods. Wemeasured flagellate grazing on bacteria using a fluorescentminicell method, while cladoceran grazing was estimated fromthe relationship between body length and filtering rate. Wepredicted that cladoceran grazing on bacteria would be higherin Paul, and flagellate grazing would be higher in Tuesday.Cladoceran grazing on bacteria was important in both lakes contraryto our initial expectation. Large populations of the small cladoceran,Bosmina longirostris, in Tuesday exerted a grazing pressure(0.18–35x10⁶ bacteria 1^–1 h^–1) approximatelyequal to that of the large cladoceran, Daphnia pulex, in Paul(0.34–30x10⁶ bacteria 1^–1 h^–1). Flagellategrazing was higher in Tuesday as predicted (range: Paul, 0.1–6x10⁶bacteria 1^–1 h^–1; Tuesday, 0.2–20x10⁶ bacteria1^–1 h^–1). However, there was not a simple relationshipbetween total abundance of flagellates and total grazing rates.High community grazing by flagellates occurred when attachedchoanoflagellates were present. These flagellates had higheringestion rates than free forms. We find no clear evidence thatdifferences in food-web structure between the two lakes influencethe process of grazing on bacteria. Instead, our results emphasizethe significance of cladocerans and attached flagellates asconsumers of bacteria in freshwater ecosystems.     

Short-term changes of protozoan control on autotrophic picoplankton in an oligo-mesotrophic lake

In May 1994, we investigated the short-term development of theplanktonic community in the epi- and metalimnion of an oligo-mesotrophiclake (Piburger See, Tyrol), focusing on trophic links betweenprotists and picoplankton, but also including phyto- and zooplankton.Uptake experiments with fluorescently labelled bacteria (FLB)and picocyanobacteria (FIC) were performed in order to comparethe importance of both prey types as carbon sources for bacterivorousprotists. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) were responsiblefor {small tilde}90% of total protozoan picoplanktivory (FLB+ FLC); ciliates accounted for {small tilde}10%. A selectivityindex related to prey density showed that both HNF and ciliatesclearly preferred FLC over FLB. The mean cell size of autotrophic(prokaryotic) picoplankton (APP) was nearly three times larger(0.323 µm³) and much less variable than mean bacterialcell volume (0.122 µm³). Although APP biomass was on averageonly 8.6% of total picoplankton biomass, pico-cyanobacteriaaccounted for a mean 15.9% of total HNF carbon uptake. We calculatedthat total HNF grazing could match potential APP maximum growthrates at the beginning of the study period. A strong decreasein HNF individual clearance rate (CR) on APP was clearly relatedto a fall in the percentage of choanofiagellates (from 75 to{small tilde}10% of the HNF community). A simultaneous decreasein HNF biomass and CR was followed by a steep increase in APPabundance; APP abundance and HNF biomass were highly negativelycorrelated both in the epi- and the metalimnion (r_{1 EM} = –0.879,r_{1 META} = =0.907; P = 0.001). Total rotifer abundance increasedby a factor of 50 within 2 weeks and was also negatively correlatedwith HNF biomass (r_{1 EM} = –0.852, P < 0.001; r_{1 META}= –0.659, P < 0.05). HNF grazing was found to exerta strong short-term control on picocyanobacteria and this linkwas probably broken by an increase in metazooplankton, especiallydue to rotifer predation on HNF.     

Population dynamics of bacterioplankton in an oligotrophic lake

The population ecology of bacterioplankton was studied overa 3 year period in Mirror Lake, an oligotrophic lake in thenortheastern USA. Bacterial population density, biomass, andrates of biomass production in the epilimnion and hypolimnionwere examined for their relationship with several environmentalparameters. Bacterioplankton density fluctuated between 0.5and 7 x l0 bacteria ml^–1, with highest values in the anoxichypolimnion. At all depths there was a trend towards a higherdensity of bacteria from spring to midsummer, followed by adecline in late summer to early autumn. Cocci tended to dominatebacterial cell shapes from winter to midsummer, after whichrod-shaped cells became most abundant. Rod-shaped cells contributedthe most to bacterioplankton biomass at all depths and timesof year. The mean annual biovolume of all bacterioplankton was0.12 µ cell^–1. The mean annual areal bacterioplanktonbiomass was 11–12 mmol C m^–2. The percentage ofbacterial to phytoplankton biomass per volume in summertimewas 27% in the epilimnion and 11% in the hypolimnion. Averageannual and summertime bacterial production estimated using the[3H]thymidine method was similar to previous estimates of bacterialproduction measured in Mirror Lake using other methods. Theaverage ratio of bacterial to net phytoplankton production pervolume was 0.34 in the epilimnion, and between 0.65 and 1 1.depending on depth, in the hypolimnion during summer. Of severalvariables considered in regression analyses, only temperatureexplained >50% of the variance in bacterial production inboth the hypolimnion and epilimnion. Above 14°C, however,bacterial production and growth rate in the epilimnion werenot clearly related to temperature. During the period of midsummerhypolimnetic anoxia, despite colder temperatures in the hypolimnion,bacterial production was up to 10 times greater than in theepilimnion.     

Respiratory rates in the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia in Lake Rotongaio, a monomictic lake

The experimentally measured oxygen consumption rate by the cladoceran,Ceriodaphnia dubia, showed a linear increase between 5 and 20°C.Oxygen consumption rates of C. dubia were estimated in situfrom respiratory electron transport system (ETS) activity inLake Rotongaio during summer stratification and winter mixing.Oxygen consumption was 0.002 µl O₂ animal^–1 h^–1in the hypolimnion and 0.076 µl O₂ animal^–1 h^–1in the epilimnion during stratification. Implications of respiredoxygen for metabolic carbon requirements are discussed.     

Zooplankton in the Vasikkalampi pond, a warm water effluent recipient in Central Finland

Seasonal and vertical fluctuations of zooplankton species composition,biomass, and production were monitored by weekly sampling duringa two year period in one eutrophic pond in Central Finland.The study was one part of a more comprehensive study programto investigate the effects of warm water effluents from onesmall thermal power plant (35 MW) on the pond ecosystem. Becauseof the circulation of the pond water through the pumps in thepower plant the crustacean populations were very sparse in planktonduring the seasons the power plant was in operation (late Augustto May). During that time rotifers were dominant and some speciesreached very high densities (e.g., Keratella cochlearis s.l.ca. 15 000 ind. l^–1 in sping). In summer months Asplanchnapriodonta, Ceriodaphnia quadrangula, Bosmina longirostris, Mesocyclopsleuckarti and Thermocyclops oithonoides were dominant. A totalof 96 planktonic and meroplanktonic taxa were identified (26ciliates, 46 rotifers, 21 cladocerans and 3 copepods). The dryweight biomass of total zooplankton was 10 mg m^–3 in wintermonths, 10–100 mg m^–3 in spring and 300–1000mg m^–3 in summer. The total yearly production of zooplanktonwas 8552 mg dry wt m^–3 a^–1 in 1979 and 8440 mg drywt m^–3 a^–1 in 1980, from which the proportion ofrotifers was 33–39%, cladocerans 52–58% and copepods8.6 –9.4%. The winter production was 0.2–0.5% ofthe total yearly production, that of spring and autumn togetherwas 8.1–10.4% and the remainder (89–91%) was summerproduction.     

Bacterivory in seawater samples estimated by a dual radioactive-labelling technique

A dual radioactive-labelled bacteria technique using Vibrio(DRLV), developed for laboratory studies on bacterivory, hasbeen refined for use at the concentrations of prey and predatorstypcially found at sea. Experiments with estuarine water collectedin spring and in autumn showed that bacterivorous nanoflagellates(HNF) (concentration 1.38±0.35x10³ HNF ml^–1) ingested2.7±0.96 DRLV flagellate1^–1 h^–1 at concentrationsof 0.8–2.2x10⁶ DRLV ml^–1 in the presence of 2.04±0.68x10⁶natural bacteria ml^–1. The method was also applied tosamples collected in October in the Celtic Sea, when on average1 ml of water from the surface layer contained 1.41±0.16x10⁶natural bacteria, 14.6x10³ cyanobacteria, 530±170 HNF,7.3±3.0x103 phototrophic nanoflagellates (1.5–4µm), 49.0±26.5 phototrophic dinoflagellates, 36.3±12.6heterotrophic dinoflagellates and 21.3±9.5 Leucocryptosmarina. Under these conditions the grazing rate in most samplesdid not exceed the coefficient of variation of the method (2%),although we estimate the grazing rate was -1.6 DRLV HNF^–1h^–1 and on one occasion a rate of 2.45 was recorded. Thegross growth efficiency for protein of -30% displayed by naturalHNF means that they could release about     

Impact of Daphnia pulex on a metalimnetic microbial community

A well-structured metalimnetic community, composed mainly ofphototrophic purple bacteria, Cryptomonas, and a few speciesof ciliates and rotifers, was regularly found between 1984 and1991 in Lake Cis. These populations appeared during spring,reached high concentrations and remained in the metalimnionuntil winter mixing. We had previously postulated that thesemetalimnetic populations could persist in such high numbersbecause they were free of efficient predation, since the oxygen-sulfideinterface provided a refuge from predation. In September 1992,an abundant Daphnia pulex population developed in the lake whichresulted in drastic changes in the formerly stable community.The presence of D.pulex induced an extreme clear-water phasein the epilimnion and the metalimnetic populations were severelyreduced. Feeding experiments with Cryptomonas and heterotrophicand phototrophic bacteria as food for D.pulex resulted in clearancerates around 0.7 ml individual^–1 h^–1. The impactwas very high on the microaerophilic populations, whereas theanaerobic populations were least affected, since sulfide limitedthe vertical distribution of ^D.pulex. We conclude from thisevidence that the metalimnetic populations in previous yeanwere mostly food limited (bottom-up control) and that theirhigh abundances were in great part due to a lack of efficientpredation.     

Regeneration and uptake of ammonium by plankton in an Amazon floodplain lake

Planktonic regeneration and uptake of ammonium was measuredin Lake Calado on the floodplain of the Amazon River (Brazil).In the epilimnion of the lake, regeneration and uptake averaged0.86 ± 0.15 and 1.9 ± 0.4 µmol NH₄1^–1h^–1 respectively. Uptake exceeded regeneration under theammonium-enriched conditions of our experimental incubations,but uptake and regeneration are in near-balance at in situ ammoniumconcentrations of <1 µM. In experiments that simulatedlake overturn, samples from the meta- and hypolimnion had higherrates of regeneration (1.4 ± 0.6) and lower rates ofuptake (0.89 ± 0.53) than epilimnetic samples. Duringinflow of water from the Amazon River and a local stream, ammoniumregeneration rates were similar to those measured in the epilimnion(0.84 ± 0.22), but the uptake rates were lower (0.49± 0.13). Although regeneration always exceeded uptakein the overturn and inflow experiments, ammonium did not accumulate.Rapid isotope dilution of the ammonium pool occurred in theincubations, and the effect of not accounting for isotope dilutioncould result in underestimating uptake rates by a factor of2–5 in the epilimnion of this tropical lake.     

Seasonal variations of bacterial abundance and biomass and their relation to phytoplankton in the hypertrophic tropical lagoon Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia

The seasonal development of bacteria was studied in the hypertrophiccoastal lagoon Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (Caribbeancoast of Colombia). This large but only 1.5 m deep lagoon issubject to strong seasonal variations of salinity from almostfully marine (April/May) to brackish conditions in October/November.Chlorophyll ranged from 6 to 182 µg L^–1, and grossprimary production amounted to 1690 g C m^–2 per year.Total bacterial number (TBN) ranged from 6.5 to 90.5 x 10⁹ cellsL^–1 and bacterial biomass (BBM) from 77 to 1542 µgC L^–1, which are among the highest ever reported for naturalcoastal waters. Neither TBN nor BBM varied significantly withsalinity, phytoplankton or seston concentrations. Only the bacterialmean cell volume showed a significant relation to salinity,being highest (0.066 µm³) during the period of increasingand lowest (0.032 µm³) during decreasing salinity. Bacterialprotein accounted for 24% (19–26%) and phytoplankton proteinfor 57% (53–71%) of total seston protein. The ratio (annualmean) of bacterial carbon to phytoplankton carbon was 0.44 (range0.04–1.43). At low phytoplankton abundance [chlorophylla (Chl a) < 25 µg L^–1], bacterial carbon wasalmost equal to phytoplankton biomass (i.e. the mean ratio was1.04). In contrast, at Chl a > 100 µg L^–1, BBMwas low compared to phytoplankton biomass (the mean ratio was0.16). In general, BBM varied less than phytoplankton biomass.Most probably, the missing correlation between bacterial andphytoplankton variables was due to (i) organic material partlyderived from allochthonous sources serving as food resourcefor bacteria and (ii) a strong resuspension of bacteria fromthe sediment caused by frequent wind-induced mixing of the veryshallow lagoon.     

Predicting chlorophyll vertical distribution in response to epilimnetic nutrient enrichment in small stratified lakes

Light-limited metalimnetic phytoplankton communities are thoughtto be negatively impacted by epilimnetic nutrient enrichmentbecause of shading by increased epilimnetic phytoplankton biomass.We tested this expectation with a dynamic simulation model thatwas calibrated to three lakes undergoing whole-lake nutrientand food web manipulations. Total areal chlorophyll increaseddue to nutrient enrichment in each lake, but the magnitude ofthe response varied between lakes. Modeling experiments, whichallowed analysis of separate components of each lake's responseto nutrient enrichment, indicated that the response to enrichmentdepended on lake water color and food web structure. In weaklystained lakes ({small tilde}10 mg Pt 1^–1, k₄ = 0.4 m^–1),metalimnetic chlorophyll was stimulated by nutrient enrichmentup to moderate levels (1 µg Pt1^–1 day^–1).In more strongly colored lakes (25 mg Pt 1^–1, k₄ = 1.0),metalimnetic chlorophyll responded negatively to nutrient enrichmentat all P loading rates. Food web structure, as expressed byrates of zooplanktivory, interacted with water color in twoways. One impact was through direct grazing losses on metalimneticchlorophyll. The other process involved was indirect impactfrom grazing on epilimnetic phytoplankton, which reduced shadingon metalimnetic chlorophyll. Vertical redistribution of chlorophyllbetween the epilimnion and the metalimnion led to little accumulationof areal chlorophyll with increased P loading over limited rangesof water color and nutrient input rates. Model predictions maybe most effectively tested with whole-lake experiments contrastingfood web structure, water color and nutrient loading.     

Relative impacts of copepods, cladocerans and nutrients on the microbial food web of a mesotrophic lake

Calanoid copepods, rather than cladocerans, frequently dominatethe zooplankton of lakes in New Zealand. The potential consequencesof this domination for the microbial community of mesotrophicLake Mahinerangi, New Zealand, were determined by field experimentsin which Boeckella and Daphnia were added to in situ enclosuresin the presence and absence of added nutrients. Boeckella hamataat ambient densities (2 and 81^–1) rapidly and severelysuppressed ciliate population growth over 4 days, even whenmicrobial growth was enhanced by added nutrients, but effectsof copepods on other components of the microbial community (bacteria,photosynthetic picoplankton, heterotrophic nano-flagellates,algae) were slight. In contrast, Daphnia carinata at the samedensities (but 3-fold higher biomasses per litre) had a relativelyweak effect on ciliates, suppressing ciliate abundance onlyafter 4 days at 8 Daphnia 1^–1 (330 µg 1^–1);this daphniid density also depressed abundances of large bacterialrods, some photosynthetic picoplankton and the dominant alga,Cyclotella. These results highlight the relative importanceof specific trophic linkages in a microbial food web; they alsosuggest that the dominance of Boeckella in many southern hemispherelakes may account for relatively low ciliate abundances in theselakes.     

Seasonality, substrate perference and attachment sites of epizoic diatoms on cladoceran zooplankton

Cladocerans from three lakes in northwest Iowa were examinedfor attached diatoms over a period of 1 year to assess the seasonality,substrate preference and attachment site specificities of epizoicdiatoms. Over 90% of the cladocerans had attached diatoms immediatelyfollowing ice thaw, when the lakes were not yet thermally stratified,surface water temperatures were low(10–15°C)and watertransparency was at its annual high. Mean maximum density ofdiatoms on cladocerans averaged among lakes at this time was3000 cells animal^–1. The dominant epizoic diatom was Synedracyclopum Brutschy, which was found most often on large, pelagicDaphnia pulicaria and Daphnia galeata mendotae. Heavily infestedanimals had diatoms concentrated on the second antennae andanterior ventral margin of the carapace. Animals with <5epizoic diatoms were more likely to have cells attached to thepostabdomen or tail spine. In addition to living epizoically,S.cyclopum was found free living in the plankton, exhibitingtemporal fluctuations in densities similar to epizoic counterpartsHowever, the densities of the free-living cells seldom exceededepizoic densities, suggesting that S.cyclopum is adapted forgrowth on motile cladoceran substrates. ¹Present address: Savannah River Ecology Lab, Drawer E, Aiken,SC 29802, USA ²Present address: Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences,7922 NW 71st St, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA     

Cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial toxins in three alkaline Rift Valley lakes of Kenya--Lakes Bogoria, Nakuru and Elmenteita

For decades frequent mass mortalities of Lesser Flamingos (Phoeniconaiasminor Geoffroy) have been observed at alkaline-saline KenyanRift Valley lakes. To estimate the potential influence of toxiccyanobacteria on these mass deaths, the phytoplankton communitieswere investigated in Lakes Bogoria, Nakuru and Elmenteita. Cyanobacterialtoxins were analyzed both in the phytoplankton from the threelakes and in isolated monocyanobacterial strains of Arthrospirafusiformis, Anabaenopsis abijatae, Spirulina subsalsa and Phormidiumterebriformis. Lake Bogoria was dominated by the cyanobacteriumA. fusiformis. In L. Nakuru and L. Elmenteita the phytoplanktonmainly consisted of A. fusiformis, A. abijatae and Anabaenopsisarnoldii, and in L. Nakuru an unknown Anabaena sp. was alsofound. Furthermore, this is the first time A. abijatae and theunknown Anabaena sp. have been found in Kenyan lakes. Phytoplanktonwet weight biomass was found to be high, reaching 777 mg L^–1in L. Bogoria, 104 mg L^–1 in L. Nakuru and 202 mg L^–1in L. Elmenteita. Using HPLC, the cyanobacterial hepatotoxinsmicrocystin-LR, -RR -YR, -LF and -LA and the neurotoxin anatoxin-awere detected in phytoplankton samples from L. Bogoria and L.Nakuru. Total microcystin concentrations amounted to 155 µgmicrocystin-LR equivalents g^–1 DW in L. Bogoria, and 4593µg microcystin-LR equivalents g^–1 DW in L. Nakuru,with anatoxin-a concentrations at 9 µg g^–1 DW inL. Bogoria and 223 µg g^–1 DW in L. Nakuru. In L.Elmenteita phytoplankton, no cyanobacterial toxins were found.A. fusiformis was identified as one source of the toxins. Theisolated strain of A. fusiformis from L. Bogoria was found toproduce both microcystin-YR (15.0 µg g^–1 DW) andanatoxin-a (10.4 µg g^–1 DW), whilst the A. fusiformisstrain from L. Nakuru was found to produce anatoxin-a (0.14µg g^–1 DW). Since A. fusiformis mass developmentsare characteristic of alkaline-saline lakes, health risks towildlife, especially the Arthrospira-consuming Lesser Flamingo,may be expected.     

Experimental studies into the feeding biology of rotifers in brackish water

Mass developments of rotifers of the genus Brachionus, and especiallyof B.quadridentatus, occur regularly in the largely hypertrophicchain of shallow waters (‘boddens’) south of theDarss-Zingst peninsula (Southern Baltic). Interest in the autecologyof the species is, therefore, considerable. Various food sourceswere used in laboratory experiments to ascertain the food requirementsof B.quadridentatus, determine its filtration and ingestionrates, and assess its food particle size-selection ability.Growth experiments showed that the chlorophyceans Nannochlorissp. and Chlorella vulgaris possess considerable nutritionalvalue for the species, whereas abundances declined when Microcystisfirma, detritus from Enteromorpha sp. and only bacteria (Pseudomonas),respectively, were provided as food sources. Filtration ratesvaried between 0.02 and 1.73 µl ind.^–1 h^–1,and ingestion rates between 121 and 5560 cells ind.^–1h^–1, depending on the filtration rate and algal concentration.Investigations into food particle size selection using fluorescentlatex particles revealed that particle size influences foodparticle intake. When particles of different sizes were mixed,the animals showed a preference for the larger particles andingested the smaller ones with a diameter of 1–2 µmless efficiently. The brackish water species Brachionus plicatiliswas studied besides B.quadridentatus in all experiments. Theformer species proved to be superior both in its range of utilizableparticle sizes and its growth rate. The experiments with laboratorycultures were backed up by studies performed with various rotiferspecies taken from natural populations.     

Food selection and growth of the planktonic ciliate Coleps hirtus isolated from a monomictic subtropical lake

A strain of Coleps hirtus (Ciliophora, Prorodontida) was isolatedfrom the epilimnion of monomictic Lake Kinneret. Growth of thisciliate was tested in response to 12 species of planktonic algaeand seven species of cultured bacteria from lake isolates whichwere offered as food. Eight species of algae (one Cryptophyceaeand seven Chlorophyceae) and four bacteria supported good toexcellent growth of C.hirtus. Growth rates (µ) and doublingtimes (DT) ranged from 0.008 to 0.029 h^–1 and from 23.9to 90.8 h respectively. C.hirtus was able to grow on bacteriaat concentration levels as low as 2–8 x 10⁵ cells ml^–1.No correlation was observed between growth rate of C.hirtusand cell volume of the prey. ^aPresent address: Istituto di Ecologia, Universita di Parma,43100 Parma, Italy     

Zooplankton of a flooded opencast sulphur mine

The zooplankton community of a flooded opencast sulphur mine was investigated during two years. The complicated physical and chemical relationships in this water-filled pit caused an atypical plankton assemblage. At the time of the investigation 20 species of rotifers, 6 of Cladocera, and 8 species of Copepoda were found. A single Ostracod and Chaoborus flavicans were also noted in the samples. Usually the epilimnion was monopolised by rotifers whereas the hypolimnion had a more diversified assemblage of rotifers, cladocerans and copepods. The result of clustering analysis indicated that each predator was associated with its own group of prey. Discrimination analyses showed weak seasonal differences in the zooplankton and three zones in the vertical profile – epilimnetic, upper hypolimnetic and anaerobic. Principal component analysis reduced the chemical parameters to the main contributors of conductivity (the main anions and cations) plus toxic sulphide and hydrogen sulphide. The animals were classified by the first two components into two groups: cold stenotherms and medium-sized filtrators, such as Bosmina longirostris. A specific analysis of vertical profiles generated five variants of diel vertical migrations. When time–space distributions of the plankters were analysed the highest numbers of different species were usually in different times and depths. The epilimnion was inhabited by small fishes and was dominated by rotifers but was free from C. flavicans which inhabited the cold hypolimnion, together with the remaining invertebrate predators (copepods and Asplanchna).Chaoborus and the other invertebrate predators participated more evenly in the contributions of species to the total density. In the presence of invertebrate predators the structure of the rotifer population shifted from soft-bodied species to spined or fast-moving species. When the predation pressure was too strong, as in the hypolimnion, the soft-bodied species were, in practice, absent. When the pit was in an oligotrophic state the hypolimnion population was composed of up to 60–90% rotifers. When the trophic state shifted to mesotrophy, the proportion of cladocerans increased.     

Evaluation of bacterivory of Rotifera based on measurements of in situ ingestion of fluorescent particles, including some comparisons with Cladocera

Bacterivory of pelagic rotifers and cladocerans in eutrophicLake Loosdrecht (The Netherlands) was determined by microscopicobservation of in situ tracer particle uptake. Ingestion ratesof rotifer species using 0.51 µm microspheres or fluorescentlylabelled bacteria as tracers differed, with one exception. Theingestion rates depended on both the species and the tracertype. For cladocerans, fluorescently labelled bacteria seemedto underestimate grazing, presumably due to rapid digestionof tracer cells. Comparing results obtained with 0.51 µmmicrospheres, rotifers were much more important grazers on bacteriathan cladocerans in the study period (April-September). Basedon microspheres, the rotifer populations with the highest uptakeof bacteria were Filinia longiseta (May-July) andAnuraeopsisfissa (June-September). According to the uptake of fluorescentlylabelled bacteria, Conochilus unicornis had the highest uptakein June and A.fissa in July.     

High abundance of picoplankton-ingesting ciliates during late fall in Lake Kinneret, Israel

Small, aloricate ciliates dominated the biomass of heterotrophicprotists throughout the water column at the end of the periodof stratification in Lake Kinneret, Israel The integrated biomassof cilates was 5–20 times that of heterotrophic flagellatesDuring incubation experiments, ciliate growth rates in cpilimneticwater corresponded to population doubling times of 9.6–19.4h, while flagellate populations showed no growth. Most of thealiates were small forms (10–30 µm long), includingscuticocihates, choreotnchs, Coleps spp. and Colpoda spp., andappeared to be consuming bacteria, coccoid cyanobacteria, and<5 µm eukaryotic algae. Grazing rates of cihate assemblageson picoplankton in the epilimnion, as determined by the uptakeof fluorescently labeled bacteria and cyanobactena, ranged from62 to 86 nl cell^–1 h^–1 Colpoda steini, isolatedfrom lakewater, grew on a cultured freshwater Synechococcussp with a doubling time of 4.5 h, and a gross growth efficiencyof 48% The estimated daily requirements of ciliates for growthapproximately equalled total phytoplankton production. We calculatedthat ciliates in the epilimnion were clearing 4–10% ofthe bacterioplankton and cyanobactenal standing stocks per daySince this would not be sufficient food consumption to meetdaily carbon requirements of the aliates, it is likely thatthese organisms were also grazing a significant amount of autotrophicand heterotrophic eukaryotic cells in Lake Kinneret.     

Effects of rotifers and ciliates on the growth and survival of Daphnia

Daphnia can suppress ciliates and rotifers through predationand interference competition, but it is not known whether thisproduces any direct benefit to Daphnia. We conducted survivorshipand cohort lifetable experiments to determine whether Daphniacan utilize ciliates and rotifers as food. Three species ofoligotrich ciliates (Halteria grandinella, Strobilidium gyransand Strobilidiumvelox) and one rotifer (Keratella cochlearis)were used. Lifetable experiments were conducted with a basallevel of algae (Cryptomonas sp.), plus either ciliates or rotifers,while survivorship experiments had only the rotifers or ciliates.Densities of 30 H.grandinella ml^–1, 50 S.gyrans ml^–1and 15 S.velox ml^–1 enhanced Daphnia pulex's populationgrowth rate 35–50% over controls with only algae. TenS.gyrans ml^–1 did not produce a significant change inDaphnia's growth rate. Densities of 100 and 300 K.cochlearis^–1 increased Daphnia population growth rates by II and10%, respectively. Both 10 and 50 S.gyrans ml^–1 enhancedDaphnia's survivorship compared to starved controls, but neither100 nor 300 K.cochlearis l^–1 enhanced its survivorship.The amount of enhancement of Daphnia growth rates by rotifersand ciliates is roughly proportional to the death rates imposedby Daphnia. The death rate imposed by Daphnia on rotifers isa function of both algal density and Daphnia size. Per unitbiomass, neither ciliates nor Keratella appear to be as nutritiousfor Daphnia as is Cryptomonas.     

Impacts of nutrients and zooplankton on the microbial food web of an ultra-oligotrophic lake

In ultra-oligotrophic lakes and the sea, calanoid copepods arethe dominant mesozoo-plankton and cladocerans are generallysparse or absent. To determine the effects of predation andnutrient enrichment on the pelagic microbial food web of anultra-oligotrophic lake, we added copepods and cladocerans atlow biomasses (<60 µg l^–1 to in situ enclosuresin Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand, in the presence and absence ofadded nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). In response to nutrientfertilization, the concentrations of phototrophs >3 µmand heterotrophic bacteria increased by 50 and 15%, respectively,over 4 days, but those of cyanobacterial picoplankton decreasedby 68%. The presence of calanoid copepods (Boeckella dilatata)at ambient densities (1 and 4 l^–1) rapidly and severelysuppressed ciliate population growth over 4 days and also loweredthat of flagellates >3 µm, even when microbial growthwas enhanced by added nutrients. The presence of a small cladoceran,Ceriodaphnia dubia, at double the densities, but similar biomasses,to those of copepods, depressed the net growth rates of ciliatesand flagellates to a lesser degree. The net growth rate of heterotrophicbacteria after 4 days declined with flagellate abundance, consistentwith the possibility of regulation by flagellates. Althoughbacteria and algae increased in response to nutrient fertilization(bottom-up control), predation (top-down control) appeared toplay an important role in structuring the microbial food webof this ultra-oligotrophic lake in summer.