Abstract:

Investigations of total number of marine microbes in low temperatures of Chukchi Sea and Bering sea were conducted during the summer time in north hemisphere. In Chukchi Sea the detection rates of marine bacteria and fungi were 100% and more than 94%, respectively. And the quantity of marine bacteria generally was more than 10 3 cells/cm 3, and that of marine fungi usually 10-10 3 cells/cm 3. In most investigation sites marine bacterial total numbers were higher than marine fungal total numbers. There are abundant marine microorganisms distributing in the areas from surface water to deeper layers of 10m or 30m depth in Chukchi Sea. Results showed that there were large differences of marine microbial total numbers between different sampling sites, and the melt sea ice and salinity in sea water were probably two important factors affecting the marine microbial amounts in Chukchi Sea. As to marine bacteria in Bering sea, their detection rates were 100% and their amounts were generally 10 2-10 3 cells/cm 3. For marine fungi, their detection rates were more than 84% and their amounts generally 10 2-10 3 cells/cm 3. Similar to the situation in Chukchi Sea, there were fairly large differences of marine microbial total numbers between different sampling sites in Bering Sea, too.The investigation results proved that a large number of marine microbes in low temperatures lived in Chukchi and Bering Sea. Among the marine bacteria studied, 81% of bacteria from Chukchi Sea and 88.9% of bacteria from Bering sea can grow well in low temperatures no higher than 10℃. And some of these marine bacteria can utilize starch or cellulose as carbon source for their growth. These microbes can provide abundant materials for further exploiting and developing the marine microbe resources in low temperature.