Table 6. Number (N), biomass (B), and production (P) of bacteria in 

 bottom sediments of the marine basins, per ml of wet silt (Sorokin, 

 1973c). 



Location of Sampling Depth, H, 10^ B (wet P, ug/ 

 Station, Type of m cl/ml weight), ml -day 



Sediment pg/ml 



Pacific Ocean 



Fanning Atoll, coral sand 2 2030 910 226 

 Majuro Atoll, peri phy ton 



on dead coral Z" 6200 2480 2150 



Slope opposite Tokyo Bay, 



silty-sandy stone 2725 196 94 13 

 Hear equator, diatom- 



radiolaria silt 5020 37 17 1.4 



Northern trades, red clay 5810 14 6.6 0.6 



Southern trench, red clay 5330 7 3.4 0.03 



Sea of Japan 



Black Sea 



The distribution of the benthic microflora in the deep-water 

 regions (Table 6) show that its biomass depends on the level of 

 productivity of the region (Sorokin, 1970c). These observations 

 disagree to some extent with the conclusion of independence of the 

 quantity of suspended organic matter in deep waters of the productivity 

 of the surface waters (Menzel, 1967). This contradiction may be 

 explained by the fact that the primary source of organic matter in the 

 bottom sediment is not dispersed suspended matter, but rather the 

 remains of planktonic organisms, the number of which is directly 

 dependent on the level of productivity of the surface waters. These 

 remains, as well as their faeces, may reach the bottom of the deep ocean 

 in 5-15 days (Saunders, 1969). 



265 



