Microbial Heterotrophy in Tidal Creeks of a Southeastern U.S. Salt Marsh Estuary
Erik Smith, Baruch Institute for Coastal and Marine Sciences, University of South Carolina
11 Apr 2008
Tidal creeks represent the conduits for organic matter exchange between salt marshes and the coastal ocean. While salt marsh ecosystems are well know for their high rates of primary productivity, their tidal creeks are also sites of extraordinarily high net heterotrophy. Much of this heterotrophic metabolism is due to the activity of the microbial community, particularly that of the heterotrophic bacteria. Through their activity, these organisms exert considerable influence on the carbon, oxygen and nutrient dynamics in tidal creek waters. This talk will present the results of ongoing studies being conducted in the North Inlet estuary (South Carolina) that seek to quantify the linkages between salt marsh exports and microbial metabolism in tidal creek waters.