Abstract
A partial carbon budget was calculated for a population of the deposit feeding polychaete Nereis succinea (Frey and Leuckart) for a North Carolina, USA salt marsh in order to determine if the ingestion and assimilation of microbial carbon was sufficient to meet the carbon requirement. Carbon required by the population was estimated by calculating annual production, 2.1 g C m-2, and respiration, 9.4 g. There was no net release of dissolved organic carbon. Annual consumption of microbial carbon (as determined by ATP) was estimated to be 5.2 g m-2. Assimilation efficiency of heterotrophic, detrital microbes was estimated to be 57%. If this value is used for all the microbial carbon, then total assimilation was 3.0 g C m-2, or about one-fourth the carbon requirement. N. succinea was able to assimilate carbon from sterile plant detritus which suggests that some of the carbon needed to balance the budget may come from direct uptake of the plant substrate. Other possible additional sources of carbon include consumption of meiofauna and uptake of dissolved organic matter.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Baker, J. H. and L. A. Bradnam: The role of bacteria in the nutrition of aquatic detritivores. Oecologia 24, 95–104 (1976)
Bell, S. S. and B. C. Coull: Field evidence that shrimp predation regulates meiofauna. Oecologia 35, 141–148 (1978)
Berrie, A. D.: Detritus, micro-organisms and animals in fresh water. In: The role of terrestrial and aquatic organisms in decomposition processes, pp. 323–338. Ed. by J. M. Anderson and A. Macfadyen, Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1976
Brickman, L. M.: Base food chain relationships in coastal salt marsh ecosystem, 179 pp. Ph.D. thesis. Lehigh University 1972
Burke, M. V. and K. H. Mann: Productivity and production: Biomass ratios of bivalve and gastropod populations in an eastern Canadian estuary. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 31, 167–177 (1974)
Buzas, M. A.: Foraminifera as prey for benthic deposit feeders: Results of predator exclusion experiments. J. mar. Res. 36, 617–625 (1978)
Cadée, G. C. and J. Hegeman: Distribution of primary production of the benthic microflora and accumulation of organic matter on a tidal flat area, Balgzand, Dutch Wadden Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 11, 24–41 (1977)
Calow, P. and C. R. Fletcher: A new radiotracer technique involving 14C and 51Cr, for estimating the assimilation efficiencies of aquatic, primary consumers. Oecologia 9, 155–170 (1972)
Cammen, L. M.: On the use of liquid scintillation counting of 51Cr and 14C in the twin tracer method of measuring assimilation efficiency. Oecologia 30, 249–251 (1977)
Cammen, L. M.: The macro-infauna of a North Carolina salt marsh. Am. Midl. Nat. 102, 244–253 (1979)
Cammen, L. M.: A method for measuring ingestion rate of deposit feeders and its use with the polychaete Nereis succinea. Estuaries 3, 55–60 (1980a)
Cammen, L. M.: Ingestion rate: An empirical model for aquatic deposit feeders and detritivores. Oecologia 44, 303–310 (1980b)
Cammen, L. M., P. Rublee and J. E. Hobbie: The significance of microbial carbon in the nutrition of the polychaete Nereis succinea and other aquatic deposit feeders, 84 pp. University of North Carolina Sea Grant Publ. UNC-SG-78-12. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina State University 1978
Cassie, R. M.: Some uses of probability paper in the analysis of size frequency distributions. Aust. J. mar. Fresh wat. Res. 5, 513–522 (1954)
Chambers, M. R. and H. Milne: Life cycle and production of Nereis diversicolor O. F. Müller in the Ythan Estuary, Scotland. Estuar. Coast. Mar. Sci. 3, 133–144 (1975)
Crisp, D. J.: Energy flow measurements. In: Methods for the study of marine benthos, IBP Handbook No. 16, pp 197–279. Ed. by N. A. Holme and A. D. McIntyre. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1971
Dale, N. G.: Bacteria in intertidal sediments: Factors related to their distribution. Limnol. Oceanogr. 19, 509–518 (1974)
Elmgren, R.: Baltic benthos communities and the role of the meiofauna. Contrib. Askö Lab. 14, 1–31 (1976)
Fenchel, T.: Studies on the decomposition of organic detritus derived from the turtle grass Thalassia testudinum. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 14–20 (1970)
Ferguson, R. L. and M. B. Murdoch: Microbial ATP and organic carbon in sediments of the Newport River estuary, North Carolina. In: Estuarine research, Vol. 1, pp 229–250. Ed. by L. E. Cronin, New York: Academic Press 1975
Ferguson, R. L. and R. B. Williams: A growth chamber for the production of 14C-labeled salt marsh plants and its application to smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora Loisel. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 14, 251–259 (1974)
Foulds, J. B. and K. H. Mann: Cellulose digestion in the mysid shrimp Mysis stenolepis and its ecological implications. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 760–766 (1978)
Frey, R. W., P. B. Basan and R. M. Scott: Techniques for sampling salt marsh benthos and burrows. Am. Midl. Nat. 89, 228–234 (1973)
Gerlach, S. A.: Food-chain relationships in subtidal silty sand marine sediments and the role of meiofauna in stimulating bacterial productivity. Oecologia 33, 55–69 (1978)
Hargrave, B. T.: The utilization of benthic microflora by Hyallela azteca (Amphipoda). J. Anim. Ecol. 39, 427–437 (1970)
Hargrave, B. T.: The central role of invertebrate faeces in sediment decomposition. In: The role of terrestrial and aquatic organisms in decomposition processes, pp 301–321. Ed. by J. M. Anderson and A. Macfadyen. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1976
Heip, C. and R. Herman: Production of Nereis diversicolor O. F. Müller (Polychaeta) in a shallow brackish-water pond. Estuar. Coast. Mar. Sci. 8, 297–305 (1979)
Hobbie, J. E. and C. Lee: Microbial production of extracellular material: Importance in benthic ecology. In. Marine benthic dynamics. Ed. by K. R. Tenore and B. C. Coull. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press (In press)
Holland, D. L. and P. A. Gabbott: A microanalytical scheme for the determination of protein, carbohydrate, lipid, and RNA levels in some marine invertebrate larvae. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 51, 659–668 (1971)
Holm-Hansen, O.: Determination of total microbial biomass by measurement of adenosine triphosphate. In: Estuarine microbial ecology, pp 73–89. Ed. by L. H. Stevenson and R. R. Colwell. Columbia, S. C.: University of South Carolina Press 1973
Hyle, R. A.: Fishes of the Newport River estuary, North Carolina, their composition, seasonality and community structure, 1970–1972, 205 pp. Ph.D. thesis, University of North Carolina 1976
Jensen, K. T. and H. R. Siegismund: The importance of diatoms and bacteria in the diet of Hydrobia species. Ophelia 19 (Suppl.), In press (1980)
Jørgensen, C. B.: August Pütter, August Krogh, and modern ideas on the use of dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments. Biol. Rev. 51, 291–328 (1976)
Jørgensen, N. O. G. and E. Kristensen: Uptake of amino acids by three species of Nereis (Annelida: Polychaeta). I. Transport kinetics and net uptake from natural concentrations. Marine Ecology (Progress Series) (In press)
Karl, D. M., J. A. Haugness, L. Campbell and O. Holm-Hansen: Adenine nucleotide extraction from multicellular organisms and beach sand: ATP recovery, energy charge ratios and determination of carbon/ATP ratios. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 34, 163–181 (1978)
Kay, D. G. and A. E. Brafield: The energy relations of the polychaete Neanthes (=Nereis) virens (Sars). J. Anim. Ecol. 42, 673–692 (1973)
Kepkay, P. E. and J. A. Novitsky: Microbial control of organic carbon in marine sediments: Coupled chemoautotrophy and heterotrophy. Mar. Biol. 55, 261–286 (1980)
Kofoed, L. H.: The feeding biology of Hydrobia ventrosa (Montagu). I. The assimilation of different components of the food. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 19, 233–241 (1975a)
Kofoed, L. H.: The feeding biology of Hydrobia ventrosa (Montagu). II. Allocation of the components of the carbonbudget and the significance of the excretion of dissolved organic material. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 19, 243–256 (1975b)
Lee, J. J., K. R. Tenore, J. H. Tietjen and C. Mastropaolo: An experimental approach toward understanding the role of meiofauna in a detritus based marine food web. In: Radioecology and energy resources, Proceedings of the 4th National Symposium on Radioecology, pp 140–147. Ed. by C. E. Cushing, Jr. Ecological Society of America Special Publ. l. 1975
Lopez, G. R., J. S. Levinton and L. B. Slobodkin: The effect of grazing by the detritivore Orchestia grillus on Spartina litter and its associated microbial community. Oecologia 30, 111–127 (1977)
Mangum, C. and W. Van Winkle: Responses of aquatic invertebrates to declining oxygen conditions. Am. Zool. 13, 529–541 (1973)
May, D. R.: The effects of oxygen concentration and anoxia on respiration of Abarenicola pacifica and Lumbrinereis zonata (Polychaeta). Biol. Bull. 142, 71–83 (1972)
Menzel, D. W. and R. F. Vaccaro: The measurement of dissolved organic and particulate carbon in sea water. Limnol. Oceanogr. 9, 138–142 (1964)
Meyer-Reil, L.-A., R. Dawson, G. Liebezeit and H. Tiedge: Fluctuations and interactions of bacterial activity in sandy beach sediments and overlying waters. Mar. Biol. 48, 161–171 (1978)
Mills, E. L.: Benthic organisms and the structure of marine ecosystems. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 32, 1657–1663 (1975)
Mills, E. L. and R. O. Fournier: Fish production and the marine ecosystems of the Scotian Shelf, Eastern Canada. Mar. Biol. 54, 101–108 (1979)
Moriarty, D. J. W.: Problems in the measurement of bacterial biomass in sandy sediments. In: 4th international symposium on environmental biogeochemistry. Ed. by P. A. Trudinger. Australian Academy of Science. (In press)
Morita, R. Y.: Deep-sea microbial energetics. Sarsia 64, 9–12 (1979)
Newell, R. C.: The role of detritus in the nutrition of two marine deposit feeders, the prosobrach Hydrobia ulvae and the bivalve Macoma balthica. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 144, 25–45 (1965)
Newell, R. C.: Factors controlling metabolic capacity adaptation in marine invertebrates. In: Physiological ecology of estuarine organisms, pp 111–127. Ed. By F. J. Vernberg. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press 1975
Newell, R. C., W. Wieser and V. I. Pye: Factors affecting oxygen consumption in the woodlouse Porcellio scaber Latr. Oecologia 16, 31–51 (1974)
Nichols, F. H.: Dynamics and energetics of three deposit-feeding benthic invertebrate populations in Puget Sound, Washington. Ecol. Monogr. 45, 57–82 (1975)
Reise, K.: Moderate predation on meiofauna by the macrobenthos of the Wadden Sea. Helgoländer Wiss. Meeresunters. 32, 453–465 (1979)
Ricker, W. F.: Linear regressions in fishery research. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 30, 409–434 (1973)
Rogers, R. M., Jr.: Marine meiobenthic organisms in a Louisiana salt marsh, 82 pp. M.S. thesis. Lousiana State University 1969
Rublee, P. and B. E. Dornseif: Direct counts of bacteria in the sediments of a North Carolina salt marsh. Estuaries 1, 188–191 (1978)
Rublee, P., L. M. Cammen and J. E. Hobbie: Bacteria in a North Carolina salt marsh: Standing crop and importance in the decomposition of Spartina alterniflora, 80 pp. University of North Carolina Sea Grant Publ. UNC-SG-78-11. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University 1978
Sikora, J. P., W. B. Sikora, C. W. Erkenbrecher and B. C. Coull: Significance of ATP, carbon, and caloric content of meiobenthic nematodes in partitioning benthic biomass. Mar. Biol. 44, 7–14 (1977)
Sorokin, Y.I.: Microbial production in the coral-reef community. Arch. Hydrobiol. 83, 281–323 (1978)
Steele, J. H.: The structure of marine ecosystems. 128 pp. Cambridge: Harvard University Press 1974
Stephens, G. C.: Amino acid accumulation and assimilation in marine organisms. In: Nitrogen metabolism and the environment, pp 155–184. Ed. by W. Campbell and L. Goldstein. New York: Academic Press 1972
Stephens, G. C.: Uptake of naturally occurring primary amines by marine annelids. Biol. Bull. 149, 397–407 (1975)
Strickland, J. D. H.: Measuring the production of marine phytoplankton. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 122, 1–172 (1960)
Taghon, G. L., R. F. L. Self and P. A. Jumars: Predicting particle selection by deposit feeders: A model and its implications. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 752–759 (1978)
Tela, J. M. and W. Wieser: The distribution and ecology of nematodes in a Georgia salt marsh. Limnol. Oceanogr. 11, 217–222 (1966)
Tenore, K. R., J. H. Tietjen and J. J. Lee: Effect of meiofauna on incorporation of aged eelgrass detritus by the polychaete, Nephthys incisa. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 34, 563–567 (1977)
Theede, H., J. Schaudinn and F. Saffé: Ecophysiological studies on four Nereis species of the Kiel Bay. Olkos (Supp.) 15, 246–252 (1973)
Tsuchiya, M. and Y. Kurihara: The feeding habits and food sources of the deposit-feeding polychaete, Neanthes japonica (Izuka). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 36, 79–89 (1979)
Vernberg, W. B., B. C. Coull and D. D. Jorgensen: Reliability of laboratory measurements of meiofauna. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 34, 164–167 (1977)
Ward, G. M. and K. W. Cummins: Effects of food quality on growth of a stream detritivore, Paratendipes albimanus (Meigen) (Diptera: Chironimidae). Ecology 60, 57–64 (1979)
Waters, T. F.: The turnover ratio in production ecology of fresh-water invertebrates. Am. Nat. 103, 173–185 (1969)
Wetzel, R. L.: An experimental-radiotracer study of detrital carbon utilization in a Georgia salt marsh, 103 pp. Ph.D. thesis. University of Georgia 1975
Wetzel, R. L.: Carbon resources of a benthic salt marsh invertebrate Nassarius obsoletus Say (Mollusca: Nassariidae). In: Estuarine processes, Vol. 2, pp 293–308. Ed. by M. Wiley. New York: Academic Press 1977
Wieser, W.: Benthic studies in Buzzards Bay. II. The meiofauna. Limnol. Oceanogr. 5, 121–137 (1960)
Wightman, J. A.: An improved technique for measuring assimilation efficiency by the 51Cr−14C twin tracer method. Oecologia 19, 273–284 (1975)
Williams, R. B. and M. B. Murdoch: The potential importance of Spartina alterniflora in conveying zinc, manganese, and iron into estuarine food chains. In: Proceedings of the 2nd national symposium on radioecology, pp 431–439. Ed. by D. J. Nelson and F. C. Evans. U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 1969
Yingst, J. Y.: The utilization of organic matter in shallow marine sediments by an epibenthic deposit-feeding holothurian. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 23, 55–69 (1976)
Yingst, J. Y.: Patterns of micro-and meiofaunal abundance in marine sediments, measured with the adenosine triphosphate assay. Mar. Biol. 47, 41–54 (1978)
Zhukhova, A. I.: On the quantitative significance of micro-organisms in nutrition of aquatic invertebrates. In: Marine microbiology, pp 699–710. Ed. by C. H. Oppenheimer. Springfield, Ill.: Thomas 1963
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by T. Fenchel, Aarhus
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cammen, L.M. The significance of microbial carbon in the nutrition of the deposit feeding polychaete Nereis succinea . Mar. Biol. 61, 9–20 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410337
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410337