Bacterial Biomass along the Kuroshio Extension

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 445

[author abstract] Bacteria are essential for the remineralization of nutrients in the ocean between different energy levels. Therefore, understanding what control bacterial abundance in the ocean is important. This study compares the bottom-up and top-down controls of bacteria along the Kuroshio Extension in order to further understand the processes involved. The Kuroshio Extension is the largest sink for anthropogenic CO2, which creates an interesting environment for bacterial populations. The data indicated an importance of grazers and viruses controlling bacterial abundance more so than nutrients.

University of Washington School of Oceanography