Comparison of fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide and polynucleotide probes for the detection of pelagic marine bacteria and archaea

We compared the detection of bacteria and archaea in the coastal North Sea and at Monterey Bay, Calif., after fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) either with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes monolabeled with the cyanin dye Cy3 (oligoFISH) or with fluorescein-labeled polyribonucleotide probes (polyFISH). During an annual cycle in German Bight surface waters, the percentages of bacteria visualized by polyFISH (annual mean, 77% of total counts) were significantly higher than those detected by oligoFISH (53%). The fraction of total bacteria visualized by oligoFISH declined during winter, whereas cell numbers determined by polyFISH remained constant throughout the year. Depth profiles from Monterey Bay showed large differences in the fraction of bacterial cells visualized by polyFISH and oligoFISH in the deeper water layers irrespective of the season. Image-analyzed microscopy indicated that the superior detection of cells by polyFISH with fluorescein-labeled probes in bacterioplankton samples was less a consequence of higher absolute fluorescence intensities but was rather related to quasi-linear bleaching dynamics and to a higher signal-to-background ratio. The relative abundances of archaea in North Sea and Monterey Bay spring samples as determined by oligoFISH were on average higher than those determined by polyFISH. However, simultaneous hybridizations with oligonucleotide probes for bacteria and archaea suggested that the oligoFISH probe ARCH915 unspecifically stained a population of bacteria. Using either FISH technique, blooms of archaea were observed in North Sea surface waters during the spring and summer months. Marine group II archaea (Euryarchaeota) reached >30% of total picoplankton abundances, as determined by polyFISH. We suggest that studies of pelagic microbial community structure using oligoFISH with monolabeled probes should focus on environments that yield detections > or =70% of total cell counts, e.g., coastal surface waters during spring and summer.     

Comparison of Fluorescently Labeled Oligonucleotide and Polynucleotide Probes for the Detection of Pelagic Marine Bacteria and Archaea

We compared the detection of bacteria and archaea in the coastal North Sea and at Monterey Bay, Calif., after fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) either with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes monolabeled with the cyanin dye Cy3 (oligoFISH) or with fluorescein-labeled polyribonucleotide probes (polyFISH). During an annual cycle in German Bight surface waters, the percentages of bacteria visualized by polyFISH (annual mean, 77% of total counts) were significantly higher than those detected by oligoFISH (53%). The fraction of total bacteria visualized by oligoFISH declined during winter, whereas cell numbers determined by polyFISH remained constant throughout the year. Depth profiles from Monterey Bay showed large differences in the fraction of bacterial cells visualized by polyFISH and oligoFISH in the deeper water layers irrespective of the season. Image-analyzed microscopy indicated that the superior detection of cells by polyFISH with fluorescein-labeled probes in bacterioplankton samples was less a consequence of higher absolute fluorescence intensities but was rather related to quasi-linear bleaching dynamics and to a higher signal-to-background ratio. The relative abundances of archaea in North Sea and Monterey Bay spring samples as determined by oligoFISH were on average higher than those determined by polyFISH. However, simultaneous hybridizations with oligonucleotide probes for bacteria and archaea suggested that the oligoFISH probe ARCH915 unspecifically stained a population of bacteria. Using either FISH technique, blooms of archaea were observed in North Sea surface waters during the spring and summer months. Marine group II archaea (Euryarchaeota) reached >30% of total picoplankton abundances, as determined by polyFISH. We suggest that studies of pelagic microbial community structure using oligoFISH with monolabeled probes should focus on environments that yield detections ≥70% of total cell counts, e.g., coastal surface waters during spring and summer.     

Taxonomic investigations of bacteriophage sensitive bacteria isolated from marine waters

Based on 28 criteria the taxonomy of 366 phage sensitive bacterial strains isolated from marine waters (Atlantic between European continental shelf and Sargasso Sea, Bay of Biscay, North Sea near Helgoland) was investigated. Seventy-eight phage-intensity strains derived from the same Atlantic Ocean regions as the sensitive ones were tested for comparison. While in the latter considerable diversity was observed, the results obtained with the phage-sensitive bacteria are characterized by stupendous uniformity. 362 of the 366 strains are assigned to the family Vibrionaceae, some 280 of which belong to the genusVibrio. As discussed, this taxonomic uniformity among the phage-sensitive bacteria is assumed to be an artifact mainly caused by the type of enrichment culture employed for the isolation of all but a few bacteriophage strains used and, to a lesser degree, by characteristics of the bacterial populations encountered.     

New insights into metabolic properties of marine bacteria encoding proteorhodopsins

Proteorhodopsin phototrophy was recently discovered in oceanic surface waters. In an effort to characterize uncultured proteorhodopsin-exploiting bacteria, large-insert bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries from the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea were analyzed. Fifty-five BACs carried diverse proteorhodopsin genes, and we confirmed the function of five. We calculate that proteorhodopsin-exploiting bacteria account for 13% of microorganisms in the photic zone. We further show that some proteorhodopsin-containing bacteria possess a retinal biosynthetic pathway and a reverse sulfite reductase operon, employed by prokaryotes oxidizing sulfur compounds. Thus, these novel phototrophs are an unexpectedly large and metabolically diverse component of the marine microbial surface water.     

Diversity and distribution of pigmented heterotrophic bacteria in marine environments

A systematic investigation of marine pigmented heterotrophic bacteria (PHB) based on the cultivation method and sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes was conducted in Chinese coastal and shelf waters and the Pacific Ocean. Both the abundance of PHB and the ratio of PHB to CFU decreased along trophic gradients from coastal to oceanic waters, with the highest values of 9.9 x 10(3) cell mL(-1) and 39.6%, respectively, in the Yangtze River Estuary. In contrast to the total heterotrophic bacteria (TB) and CFU, which were present in the whole water column, PHB were primarily confined to the euphotic zone, with the highest abundance of PHB and ratio of PHB to CFU occurring in surface water. In total, 247 pigmented isolates were obtained during this study, and the phylogenetic analysis showed a wide genetic diversity covering 25 genera of six phylogenetic classes: Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacilli, Flavobacteria and Sphingobacteria. PHB belonging to Alphaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria and Sphingobacteria were obtained mainly from the South China Sea and East China Sea; PHB from the Pacific Ocean water were predominantly affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria, and most isolates from the Yangtze River Estuary fell into the classes Actinobacteria and Bacilli. The isolates exhibited various colours (e.g. golden, yellow, red, pink and orange), with genus or species specificity. Furthermore, the pigment of PHB cells absorbed light mainly in the wavelength range between 450 and 550 nm. In conclusion, our work has revealed that PHB with broad genetic diversity are widely distributed in the marine environment, and may account for up to 39.6% of culturable bacteria, equivalent to 1.4% of the total microbial community. This value might even be underestimated because it is probable that not all pigmented bacteria were isolated. Their abundance and genetic distribution are heavily influenced by environmental properties, such as light and nutrition, suggesting that they have important roles in the marine ecosystem, especially in the absorption of visible light.     

Heterotrophic bacteria,zooflagellates, and ciliates in coastal waters of northeastern Black Sea

According to the parameters of density and biomass of heterotrophic bacterioplankton, waters in the ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse were eutrophic-hypereutrophic and in the resort cities of Gelendzhik and Anapa they were hypereutrophic. The abundance of heterotrophic bacteria reached maximum values of 12.7–14.2 million cells/mL during the period of abnormally high water temperatures (August 2010) in recreational zones. Chainlike and filamentous forms (57–65%) of bacteria, which were typical for the strong coastal pollution of waters, prevailed. The abundance of zooflagellates (kinetoplastids) in semi-isolated water areas (port of Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik Bay) reached the level of highly eutrophic waters, 6.2–9.7 million ind/m³. However, the biomass of naked ciliates was 1.5 times lower than their maximum values earlier registered in coastal waters of the northeastern shelf. The peak of abundance of alien tintinnids of the genera Eutintinnus, Tintinnopsis, and Amphorellopsis, which were introduced via ballast waters of ships, was recorded in Novorossiysk Bay. The ratio of titinnids to the total abundance of ciliates increased 5 times and reached 25–40%. Protozoans developed poorly in the oil-polluted port of Tuapse and the open Anapa Bay.     

胶州湾污染海域半知菌群体结构多样性时空动态变化及与生境的关系（英文）北大核心CSCD

【目的】揭示胶州湾典型污染海域半知菌群体结构多样性动态变化与生境的关系。【方法】根据以往对近岸污染调查记录,分别确定胶州湾海泊河、李村河入海口为中度、重度污染采样站位,石老人潮间为轻度污染对照站位,利用PCR-DGGE指纹图谱方法,研究该生境半知菌群体结构多样性季节动态变化与污染的关系。【结果】结果证明,污染指标除总氮含量外,其他各项指标含量在三站位的变化趋势为石老人潮间带最低,海泊河居中,李村河含量最高;与石老人站位相比,海泊河、李村河站位污染指标在四季变化较显著。首次证明在重金属和氮磷严重超标的海域,仍存在数量和种类较多的半知菌。PCR-DGGE指纹图谱结果显示,同一站位相似污染程度采样点之间DGGE指纹图谱比较一致,不同站位、不同季节之间指纹图谱存在明显的差异。优势条带割胶测序分析显示,3个站位存在大量的不可培养真菌,青霉属为半知菌优势种,重度污染的李村河入海口除半知菌外,存在较大量的阿米巴虫、腐霉等动物病原菌。【结论】污染海域的半知菌群体结构与生境污染程度及季节具有较密切的联系。     

深圳近海表层浮游细菌分布特征及其环境影响因素

于2015年3月、5月、8月和10月在深圳市近岸海域(珠江口、深圳湾和大亚湾)采集表层水样,利用流式细胞仪测定总浮游细菌、高DNA含量亚群细菌(HNA)、低DNA含量亚群细菌(LNA)的丰度,分析它们的时空分布特点,阐释环境因子对浮游细菌时空分布格局的影响。结果表明,珠江口、深圳湾和大亚湾海域表层浮游细菌的平均丰度依次降低,分别为3.82×10~6个/mL、7.67×10~6个/mL和3.38×10~6个/mL。珠江口海域浮游细菌丰度由远岸到近岸递增,深圳湾海域湾内各站位浮游细菌丰度差异较小,大亚湾海域浮游细菌丰度空间差异不显著(P0.05)。浮游细菌丰度时间差异主要受温度影响,空间差异主要受营养盐和叶绿素a影响。HNA亚群丰度时空差异性比LNA亚群的大,HNA亚群受温度影响显著(P0.01),而LNA亚群与温度相关性不显著(P0.05)。环境对HNA和LNA亚群丰度的影响有许多相似之处,但两者对某些环境因子有着不同的响应,说明它们在近海表层生态系统中可能扮演着部分重叠但略有不同的角色。     

Identification of Bacterial Strains Isolated from the Mediterranean Sea Exhibiting Different Abilities of Biofilm Formation

The Mediterranean Sea has rarely been investigated for the characterization of marine bacteria as compared to other marine environments such as the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. Bacteria recovered from inert surfaces are poorly studied in these environments, when it has been shown that the community structure of attached bacteria can be dissimilar from that of planktonic bacteria present in the water column. The objectives of this study were to identify and characterize marine bacteria isolated from biofilms developed on inert surfaces immersed in the Mediterranean Sea and to evaluate their capacity to form a biofilm in vitro. Here, 13 marine bacterial strains have been isolated from different supports immersed in seawater in the Bay of Toulon (France). Phylogenetic analysis and different biological and physico-chemical properties have been investigated. Among the 13 strains recovered, 8 different genera and 12 different species were identified including 2 isolates of a novel bacterial species that we named Persicivirga mediterranea and whose genus had never been isolated from the Mediterranean Sea. Shewanella sp. and Pseudoalteromonas sp. were the most preponderant genera recovered in our conditions. The phenotypical characterization revealed that one isolate belonging to the Polaribacter genus differed from all the other ones by its hydrophobic properties and poor ability to form biofilms in vitro. Identifying and characterizing species isolated from seawater including from Mediterranean ecosystems could be helpful for example, to understand some aspects of bacterial biodiversity and to further study the mechanisms of biofilm (and biofouling) development in conditions approaching those of the marine environment.     

On the distribution of larvae and localization of spawning stocks of White Sea herring <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clupea pallasii marisalbi</Emphasis>

On the basis of ichthyoplankton surveys made in June 2004–2005 and 2007, June–July 2010, and July 2011 in these bays and beyond them (in open waters of the White Sea Basin and adjacent areas of the Gorlo) larvae of White Sea herring were absent. Principal aggregations of larvae are found in the Kandalaksha Bay in June 2004–2005 and 2007. In the Onega Bay and in the Dvina Bay surveyed in June 2007 abundance of larvae was ratter low and in June–July 2010 and July 2011 in these bays and beyond them (in open waters of the White Sea Basin and adjacent areas of the Gorlo) larvae of White Sea herring were absent. Within the Kandalasksha Bay, from year to year, there were two disconnected aggregations of larvae. The space between them was situated in the open part of the bay along the transect of the Chupa Estuary and the Umba Estuary. One of the aggregations of larvae occupied the tail of the bay, and the second aggregation occupied the ante-mouth and mouth areas of the Chupa Estuary. It is supposed that these aggregations result from spawning of two independent spawning groups of the White Sea herring spawning in isolated regions of the Kandalaksha Bay. Presence of the bulk of larvae of the White Sea herring within the limits of the Kandakaksha Bay and their almost complete absence at the boundary of the bay with the White Sea Basin and at the boundaries between the Onega Bay and the Dvina Bay and the Basin support the hypothesis on the absence of an exchange with larvae between stocks of the White Sea herring spawning in large bays of the White Sea. The larvae are retained within shallow waters of the Kandalaksha Bay by the system of two-layer water circulation in the areas of spawning of herring in bays and gulfs of the estuarine type. Their drift outside of the Onega Bay and the Dvina Bay may be delimited by frontal divides at their boundaries with the Basin.     

Agar Plate Method for Detection and Enumeration of Alkylbenzenesulfonate-Degrading Microorganisms

A simple method for detection and enumeration of alkylbenzenesulfonate (ABS)-degrading microorganisms by using agar plates was developed and used in microbiological studies of coastal marine and polluted river waters. The method depends upon the color responses of neutral red in alkaline medium. Neutral red changes from pink, when it enters into ABS micelles, to yellow, when the ABS is degraded, and does not form micelles. When neutral red-tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane buffer solution and then cationic surfactant solution were sprayed onto the agar surface of ABS-nutrient agar cultures, transparent haloes appeared around the colonies of ABS-degrading microorganisms against a pink background. Viable counts of ABS-degrading bacteria isolated from both seawater and freshwater environments were considerably higher in polluted waters than in less polluted areas. Viable counts of ABS-degrading bacteria averaged 1.5 x 105/ml in samples from the surface water of polluted Tokyo Bay and 3.0 x 104/ml in samples from the surface water of polluted Tamagawa River but were fewer in number in samples from less polluted waters.     

Elevated cadmium accumulation in marine organisms from Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)

 As a contribution towards identification of the principal environmental factors involved in cadmium accumulation in Antarctic marine organisms and the establishment of a baseline near the Italian Antarctic Station “Baia Terra Nova”, surface sediments, plankton and benthic organisms were studied in coastal waters of Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea). The cadmium content of sediments was similar to that regarded as background in most marine coastal areas, whereas in surface water, phyto- and zooplankton it was similar to values measured in areas of enhanced upwelling. Algal and animal taxa dominating benthic associations had a higher cadmium content than related species from other seas. Very high concentrations of the metal were found in sponges (10–80 μg/g dw) and in the digestive gland of molluscs (up to 345 μg/g in Neobuccinum eatoni). The rapid regeneration of cadmium and its natural occurrence and bioavailability in highly productive coastal waters seem to be responsible for cadmium accumulation in the tissues of marine organisms near the “Baia Terra Nova” station. Received: 6 June 1995/Accepted: 23 November 1995     

Planktonic viruses,heterotrophic bacteria,and nanoflagellates in fresh and coastal marine waters of the Kara Sea Basin (the Arctic)

In August–September 2009, the concentration of dissolved organic matter and quantitative distribution of virioplankton, bacterioplankton, and heterotrophic nanoflagellates were studied in the coastal waters of the Kara Sea, the fresh waters of the islands and the coasts of the sea, and the estuaries of the Ob’ and Yenisei rivers. A high positive correlation was observed between the abundances of viruses and bacteria. The frequency of visibly infected bacteria in marine waters ranged from 0.6 to 4.3% (an average of 1.6%); in the fresh waters of islands and coastline and in estuaries, it ranged from 0.3 to 3.9% (an average of 1.5%) and from 0.5 to 1.6% (an average of 1.1%) respectively. In most surveyed water bodies, the role of viruses in bacterioplankton mortality was considerably higher than that of heterotrophic flagellates.     

Dynamics of nutrients and faecal bacteria in a macrotidal estuary,the Bay of Somme (France)

A stratified methodology for water sampling on tidal flats was adopted in 1988 and 1989 in the Bay of Somme. Analyses of nutrients, particulate matter and faecal germs showed the poor mixing of fresh and marine water and the weakness of stratification of the water column. Freshwater is pushed by marine water to the inner reaches of the bay and there are only a few lenses with true estuarine characteristics. In 1990, water was sampled simultaneously on the Somme river, the tidal flats and in the open sea, in order to point out estuarine gradients of several physical and chemical parameters and their evolution during a tidal cycle. The role of continental inputs was confirmed for faecal pollution, nitrate (20–25 mg l⁻¹), nitrite and silicate. The importance of ammonium excreted by the estuarine benthic populations was highlighted. High concentrations of continental chlorophyll (450 mg m⁻³) were also measured and contribute, with nitrates and ammonium, to eutrophication in the Bay of Somme. Pollution of the southern part of the bay by marine waters was regularly observed during the flow, raising doubts about the purifying capacity of sea-water and the conservation of faecal bacteria. A regular survey of fresh-water inputs and sea-water quality, offshore and within the bay, is considered to enable estimation of their respective influences in eutrophication processes in the Bay of Somme.     

黄海海域海洋沉积物细菌多样性分析

【背景】海洋独特的环境造就了海洋生物的多样性,海洋沉积物中细菌对海洋环境具有至关重要的作用。【目的】研究陆地土壤和海洋沉积物间细菌群落相似性和差异性,以便更好地认识海洋细菌多样性,深入了解沉积物细菌在海洋环境中的潜在作用。【方法】从中国黄海海域及大连市大黑山脚下分别采集样品,以陆地土壤为对照,采用16SrRNA基因高通量测序技术分析海洋沉积物的细菌群落结构。【结果】海洋沉积物样品中芽孢杆菌纲(Bacilli)、鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)和芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)丰度高于陆地土壤样品;海洋沉积物中亚硝化单胞菌(unculturedbacterium f. Nitrosomonadaceae)和厌氧绳菌(uncultured bacterium f. Anaerolineaceae)丰度虽低于陆地土壤,但丰度值也均高于1%;样品分类学统计显示酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)在海洋沉积物和陆地土壤样品中的序列丰度比例都较大,鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)在海洋沉积物样品中的序列丰度大于陆地土壤样品。【结论】海洋沉积物细菌多样性可作为海洋环境恢复情况的重...     

Research note: Ecotype differentiation in qualitative content of water soluble organic compounds between marine and brackish Fucus vesiculosus L. (Phaeophyceae)

In the present study we compared the contents of water soluble organic compounds of the marine intertidal ecotype of Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae) from the Norwegian Sea (34 practical salinity units, psu) with the sublittoral ecotype of F. vesiculosus from the brackish Bothnian Sea (5 psu). Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra revealed that marine F. vesiculosus had additional types of water soluble organic compounds compared with brackish F. vesiculosus. The results suggested that glycine betaine in the marine ecotype could be the reason for this ecotype differentiation. Furthermore, the qualitative differences between the ecotypes were the same after one week's treatment of marine algae in brackish water and of brackish algae in marine water. These suggest that the additional types of water soluble organic compounds in marine F. vesiculosus are not caused by the salinity conditions at the growth sites. Further research concerning other environmental factors that may influence ecotype differentiation of water soluble organic compounds qualitative content and adaptation in F. vesiculosus is recommended.     

Genetic and morphological analyses of tub gurnard Chelidonichthys lucerna populations in Turkish marine waters

Genetic and morphological structure of tub gurnard Chelidonichthys lucerna populations in Turkish marine waters were investigated with mtDNA sequencing of 16S rRNA and morphological characters. C. lucerna samples were collected from the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and northeastern Mediterranean coasts of Turkey. The lowest genetic diversity was found in the northeastern Mediterranean (Iskenderun Bay) population, while the highest was in the Marmara population with overall average value of genetic diversity within populations. A total of 14 haplotypes was found, and the highest haplotype diversity was in the Black Sea whereas the lowest was in the northeastern Mediterranean population (Iskenderun Bay). The Black Sea and Iskenderun Bay populations showed the least genetic divergence (0.001081), while the highest was between the Marmara Sea and northeastern Mediterranean (Antalya Bay) populations (0.002067). Pairwise comparisons of genetic distance revealed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the Marmara and both the Aegean and northeastern Mediterranean (Antalya Bay) samples. Neighbour joining tree analyses clustered the northeastern Mediterranean populations (Antalya Bay and Iskenderun Bay) as genetically more interrelated populations, whereas the Aegean Sea population was clustered as most isolated one. Discriminant function analysis of morphological characters showed that only the Black Sea population is differentiated from the other populations.     

Incorporation of glucose under anoxic conditions by bacterioplankton from coastal North Sea surface waters

It has been hypothesized that the potential for anaerobic metabolism might be a common feature of bacteria in coastal marine waters (L. Riemann and F. Azam, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 5554-5562, 2002). Therefore, we investigated whether different phylogenetic groups of heterotrophic picoplankton from the coastal North Sea were able to take up a simple carbon source under anoxic conditions. Oxic and anoxic incubations (4 h) or enrichments (24 h) of seawater with radiolabeled glucose were performed in July and August 2003. Bacteria with incorporated substrate were identified by using a novel protocol in which we combined fluorescence in situ hybridization and microautoradiography of cells on membrane filters. Incorporation of glucose under oxic and anoxic conditions was found in alpha-Proteobacteria, gamma-Proteobacteria, and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium cluster of the Bacteroidetes at both times, but not in marine Euryarchaeota. In July, the majority of cells belonging to the alpha-proteobacterial Roseobacter clade showed tracer incorporation both in oxic incubations and in oxic and anoxic enrichments. In August, only a minority of the Roseobacter cells, but most bacteria affiliated with Vibrio spp., were able to incorporate the tracer under either condition. A preference for glucose uptake under anoxic conditions was observed for bacteria related to Alteromonas and the Pseudoalteromonas-Colwellia group. These genera are commonly considered to be strictly aerobic, but facultatively fermentative strains have been described. Our findings suggest that the ability to incorporate substrates anaerobically is widespread in pelagic marine bacteria belonging to different phylogenetic groups. Such bacteria may be abundant in fully aerated coastal marine surface waters.     

Distribution of marine viruses and their potential hosts in Prydz Bay and adjacent Southern Ocean,Antarctic

Viruses play a key role in all marine ecosystems, and yet little is known of their distribution in Antarctic waters, especially in bathypelagic waters (>1000 m). In this study, the abundance and distribution of viruses and their potential hosts from the surface to the bottom of Prydz Bay, Antarctic, was investigated using flow cytometry. Viruses and autotrophs were abundant in nearshore and continental shelf waters, while heterotrophic bacteria and picoeukaryotes were abundant in offshore waters. Virus and bacteria abundances generally decreased with increasing depth but increased slightly just above the seafloor. Within the water column, maximum virus numbers coincided with the maximum values of chlorophyll a (when greater than 0.1 μg l^?1), in the surface and subsurface (25 m). In the open ocean, however, virus abundance usually correlated with bacterial abundance at greater depths (50, 300 and 500 m) where the surface chlorophyll a concentration was lower than 0.1 μg l^?1. Viral abundance was correlated with the host cell abundance, and this was different in different pelagic zones (bacteria and autotrophs (i.e., chlorophyll a concentration) in the epipelagic waters, picoeukaryotes and bacteria in mesopelagic waters and bacteria in bathypelagic waters). Principle component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis indicated that there was a close relationship between virus abundance and chlorophyll a, bacteria and nutrients (NO₂ + NO₃, phosphate and silicate), and picoeukaryote abundance was mainly correlated with water depth and salinity.     

Higher prevalence of Alternaria spp. in marine and river waters than in potable samples

Alternaria species have been recognized as important cause of allergic diseases and are considered opportunistic pathogens for immunocompromised individuals. In order to assess the contribution of waters to the spread of Alternaria, we examined 390 water samples of various origin for the presence of these microorganisms in parallel with the standard pollution indicator bacteria, i.e. total coliforms, faecal coliforms and enterococci. Alternaria spp. were isolated from 42 out of 196 (21.4%) marine water samples, from 13 out of 68 (19.1%) river samples, whereas out of 126 potable waters only two (1.6%) were found positive. The incidence of Alternaria was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in marine and river samples than in potable waters. The mean values of the colony-forming units of the pollution indicator bacteria did not significantly differ between Alternaria-positive and Alternaria-negative samples.