| Abstract: | Cylindrotheca closterium Ehrenberg, a benthic marine diatom, competes successfully with Aeromonas sp. a bacterium from the same environment, for low molecular weight organic substrates when they are presented at natural concentrations (1–10 μM). In short term (1 h) experiments, the uptake of mannose by C. closterium was enhanced in light. Seventy percent of the total uptake of mannose by both species was effected by C. closterium over a 1 h period in light. The diatom population was also competitive in darkness. The algal portion of glucose uptake over 1 h was 71% when both populations were given the substrate initially. Percentages of total amino acid uptake for C. closterium ranged from 33% glycine in light to 73% leucine in darkness when both species were given substrate initially. Cylindrotheca had smaller percentages of glucose and aspartic acid total uptake in competition experiments run to stationary phase (10 days). |
