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The distribution of the prokaryotic biomass (from both abundance and cell volume measurements) and microbial community respiration (by ETS activity) in the main water masses of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea were studied. The data were collected from surface to the bottom depth (max 3600 m) in July and December 2005. Prokaryotic abundance and microbial respiration were higher in summer than late-autumn and decreased with depth in accordance with the water masses. The opposite was found for the prokaryotic cell volumes that increased with depth and were higher in December. The cell carbon content varied within the water masses and study periods (range 9-34 fg C cell-1) and overestimations and underestimations of biomass there would have been by using the routinely adopted conversion factor (20 fg C cell-1). The depth-integrated respiratory rates resulted comparable in the photic and aphotic layers. In July, 210 and 225 mg C m-2 day-1 in the euphotic and aphotic zones, respectively, were remineralized while in December, 112 and 134 mg C m-2 day-1, respectively, were. Speculations to quantify the carbon flow mediated by microbial community suggested the occurrence of different microbial behavior within the different water masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines the abundance of the Bacteria, Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota and bulk activities (phosphatase and aminopeptidase activities, heterotrophic prokaryotic production and dark CO2 fixation) in the major water masses of the Tyrrhenian Sea (from surface to bottom: Modified Atlantic Water (MAW); Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) and Tyrrhenian Deep Water (TDW)) in July and December 2005. Data from the catalyzed reporter deposition coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) analyses indicate that the percentage of Bacteria was always higher than the percentage of Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota throughout the water column. While the percentage of Euryarchaeota was relatively homogeneous (∼10%) through the water column, the percentage of Crenarchaeota increased with depth (from 5% to 14% in July and from 7% to 17% in December in MAW and TDW, respectively). Regarding differences between July and December 2005, the percentage of Bacteria in the MAW was lower in July than in December (25% versus 43%, respectively) while quite constant (∼40%) in the TDW. The pattern of phosphatase and aminopeptidase activity varied according to the stations considered, but both ectoenzyme activities showed higher maximum velocity rates in July than in December in the deep-sea waters. Particularly, specific activity of phosphatase in the deep-sea waters (TDW) was 7 times higher (median value) than in surface waters (MAW). Prokaryotic production, aminopeptidase and phosphatase activity measurements were always higher under in situ pressure conditions than after decompression. For the first time, the measurement of the dark CO2 fixation was investigated under in situ pressure conditions and its decompressed counterparts. These data give new information to understanding the role of prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) in biogeochemical cycles of the meso- and batypelagic waters of the oceans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]