On the carbon and sulphur metabolism in the meromictic Lake Faro (Sicily)

✍ Scribed by Ju. I. Sorokin; N. Donato

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1975
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 496 KB
• Volume: 47
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5141
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00039057

✦ Synopsis

The processes of photosynthesis, chemosynthesis and sulphate reduction were quantitatively studied in the brackish meromitic lake Faro (Sicily) with the aid of C 14 and S 35. The layer of "red water" was situated at the depht of the chemocline (13-14 m), where the average concentration of H 2S was 10 mg/1 . The total biomass of bacterioplankton consisted in this layer mostly of a brown Chlorobium which reached a wet weight of 30 g/m 3 . The production of photosynthesis in this layer was 30-60 µg C/l/day . The microbial population in the "red water" was found adapted to an extremely low light intensity and to show a light optimum at the depth j ug 9m where only 2,5% of outside light penetrates . The photo- autotrophic microflora is consumed by infusoria found in mass in the "red water" layer . An active H 2S-production was found in the water column in the upper part of the H 2S-zone and in the bottom sediments . The data are discussed from the view point of the trophology of meromitic basins .