Abstract:

Bacterial productivity were estimated by 3H thymidine uptake in the Prydz Bay and its adjacent waters during the 16th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) in the austral summer of 1999/2000. The bacterial productivity ranged from 4.5 to 191 ngC·dm -3 ·h -1 , with an average of 50.4 ngC·dm -3 ·h -1 in waters studied, which was relatively low and similar to those in the Ross Sea. The mean ratio of BP to PP was 0.41 in our study area. The maximum value of bacterial productivity occurred in the subsurface of water column which may be a typical feature of BP profiles. The distribution of BP in the surface water was inversely correlative to that of DOC. The relationship among BP , PP and DOC suggested that bacterial activities was influenced mostly by phytoplankton activities and hydrologic factors in the Prydz Bay and its adjacent waters.