Influence of Bacterial Communities on Particle Aggregation.

摘要

LONG-TERM GOALS. The long term goals of this research are to determine the identity, roles, and influence of bacteria associated with marine aggregation processes. These data will ultimately be used to develop accurate predictive models of coagulation in nature, which take into account relevant physical, chemical and biological parameters. OBJECTIVES. Our main objective is to determine the microbial composition, colonization, and patterns of succession occurring on marine aggregates. We are also interested in microbial processes occurring on aggregates, such as bacterial production and enzymatic hydrolysis. When these details are in hand, we will determine how microbial populations alter the aggregation potential of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and organic aggregates.