Dissolved Organic Matter in Seawater as a Source of Particulate Food1

Abstract

Particulateorganic material produced by bubbling air through filtered seawater was fed to cultures of the brine shrimp Artemia salina Linnaeus.Growth rate of Artemia fed on organic particles was slower than that of Artemia fed on dried yeast. Growth of starved animals was significantly less than particle-fed animals; starved animals were dead by the fifth or eighth day after hatching.The possible importance of organic particles produced by wave-induced bubbles at sea is discussed.

Kaloriengehalt von Larven des SalinenkrebsesArtemia salina

“…According to PROVASOLI & SHn~AISm (1959) Artemia larvae are unable to take up organic material from filtered sea-water in the absence of particulate matter. Heavy aeration may cause the formation of particulate matter from dissolved organic substances in sea-water (BAYLOR & SUTCLIFFE 1963). During our experiments Artemia larvae were kept in calm, non-aerated water.…”

Formation and collapse of surface films

“…Organic materials are released by living, as well as dead plants and animals. Although most of this material has not been characterized, it undoubtedly reflects the biochemical composition of organisms and may be a source of nutriment either dissolved or after transformation to the particulate state (Baylor and Sutcliffe 1963;Wangersky 1965); indeed, its mass in surface waters is so great when compared with the mass of phytoplankton that this nonliving material may be an appreciable source oE nutriment at least at some trophic levels (Riley 1963(Riley , 1970.…”

The role of particulate matter in the productivity of surface waters

“…If the concentration of particles in a given water mass is determined by some sort of equilibrium with the dissolved organic carbon, the pool of organic carbon available for exploitation by zooplankton is vastly greater than the standing crop of particles alone. Baylor & Sutcliffe (1963) demonstrated that the growth of Artemia salina could be supported on a diet of the organic particles produced by bubbling natural sea water; experiments by other investigators using other zooplankton organisms have largely proved equivocal. One of the reasons for this indifferent success may be the choice of experimental organisms.…”

“…Baylor, et al (1962) demonstrated the formation of particles by the bubbling of surface sea water, while Wheeler (1975) produced particles by the compression of surface films. Sharp (1972) found that particles could be produced by shaking filtered sea water, and Johnson (1976) showed that organic aggregates could be formed by the collapse of bubbles due to the solution of the enclosed gases.…”