How important is viral effect on the measure bacterial growth in western subtropical Pacific coastal water?

Abstract

Bacterial growth rates were determined in natural seawater samples using two different methodological approaches: incubation in dialysis bags, and a modification of the dilution approach. Bacterial growth rates estimated for the dialysis bag varied from 0.026 h(-1) (April) to 0.208 h(-1) (August). Bacterial growth rates in 0.2 mu m and 30 kDa size-fractionated series ranged from 0.038 to 0.094 h(-1) and 0.078 to 0.42 h(-1), respectively. Furthermore, in all of our samples, growth rates in the 30 kDa fractionated series (grazer and virus-free diluent) were higher than in the 0.2 mu m series (grazer-free diluent) or in the dialysis bag incubations.