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Development of mass blooms of photosynthetic bacteria on sheltered beaches in Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

R. A. Herbert
R. A. Herbert
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN
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Synopsis

Mass blooms of purple sulphur bacteria belonging to the genera Thiocapsa and Chromatium (> 108 viable cells/g dry wt sediment) develop in localised areas at the sand/air interface on a number of sheltered beaches in Scapa Flow each summer. These anaerobic bacteria grow phototrophically using H2S as e− donor and develop in association with other groups of phototrophic and heterotrophic bacteria. Oxygen consumption by the heterotrophs is greater than O2 production by the algae and diffusion from the surface and this rapidly leads to anaerobic conditions in the sub-surface sediments (0–10 mm depth). Under these conditions, significant populations of sulphate reducing bacteria develop (circa 105 viable cells/g dry wt sediment) and reduce SO2−/4 to S2− during the anaerobic oxidation of low molecular weight organic substrates. Sulphide generated in this process is used as the e− donor in photosynthesis by the purple sulphur bacteria and in turn is re-oxidised to SO2−/4. Sulphate reduction is dependent upon the availability of oxidisable low molecular organic substrates which are produced, as metabolic end-products, during the microbial decomposition of algal detritus. Blooms of Thiocapsa and Chromatium spp. were most pronounced on beaches such as Scapa, Waulkmill and Swanbister, which in localised areas, have high total organic carbon contents (5–12% w/w). The factors regulating the development of these localised mass developments of anaerobic phototrophic bacteria in apparently aerobic environments are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 87 , Issue 1-2: The Marine Biology of the Orkney Islands , 1985 , pp. 15 - 25
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1985

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