BACTERIAL USE OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC-CARBON FROM CAROLINA BAYS

Carolina bays are the most common natural lentic ecosystems on the Carolina coastal plain, yet their microbial populations have not been examined. This study examined the ability of bacteria to use dissolved organic carbon from bays of differing characteristics. The five bays studied differed in water chemistry, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and molecular size distribution of DOC, but densities of bacteria were generally similar among bays. Exposure history of the bacterial community did not preclude it from growing on DOC from different bays although there was some evidence that bacteria at a site grow best on DOC from that same site. In spite of differences in DOC concentration and composition, the ability of DOC to support bacterial growth did not differ among bays.