in the ocean (Table 9). In the calculations, we used the relationship 

 between daily bacterial production (P, mg C/rn^) and destruction (D, mg 

 02/ni^): P = 0.08 D (Sorokin, Kadota, 1972). The total bacterial 

 production of organic matter in the World Ocean is over 2 •10^'^ t of carbon 

 with a total biomass of the microflora of 0.23-10^ t. The predominant part 

 of bacterial production (over 60%) is created in the warm surface waters 

 between 20° N and 20° S at 20°-28°C. This explains the relatively high 

 mean daily P/B coefficient for the microflora of the World 0cean--0.35. 



In the high latitudes, bacterial processes in the organic matter cycle 

 are inhibited by the low water temperature. Only about 2% of the total 

 bacterial production is created in these waters. The bacterial production 

 and, consequently, destruction of organic matter in the benthic sediment 

 represents only about 1.5% of their values in the water, since most of the 

 ocean floor (over 80%) consists of deep-water sediment with little content 

 of organic matter, where the metabolism of the microflora is inhibited by 

 the high pressure and low temperature. 



The total annual destruction of organic matter in the World Ocean is 

 near 2.5*10^^ t Oo, or S'lO^*^ t carbon (respiratory coefficient 1.2). This 

 quantity in principle should be close to the primary production of organic 

 matter by microflora. However, a comparison of this quantity with the 

 primary production in the World Ocean, based on theoretical calculated 

 values of oxygen consumption (Skopintsev, 1967) or measurements by the 

 radiocarbon method (Koblentz-Mishke et al.,1968) shows that consumption is 

 only one-third of the values of destruction presented above. This 

 disagreement is most probably a result of the generally recognized fact 

 that the values of primary production determined by the radiocarbon method 

 is underestimated (Arthur, Rigler, 1967; Pomeroy, Johannes, 1968; Riley, 

 1972). 



All of the errors of the radiocarbon method lead to lowering of the 

 results (Sorokin, 1971a). These errors were particularly great during the 

 first few years of application of the method (before 1960). The values 

 produced at that time formed the basis for calculations of the total 

 primary production of the World Ocean presently used for global estimates 

 of productivity (Moiseyev, 1969; Ryther, 1969; Bogorov, 1974). 



Calculation of the probable energy losses in the heterotrophic portion 

 of the living population of the World Ocean indicate a necessary energy 

 "input" to the ecosystem of 7.6'10^' kcal/yr which is also three times the 

 calculated value of primary production. 



2.7 Participation of Microorganisms in the Cycling of Nutrients 



The decomposition of organic matter by microflora and production due 

 to the energy liberated in this process of bacterial biomass represent one 

 of the basic mechanisms of the circulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in 

 the sea. In the process of microbial decomposition the nutrients are 

 regenerated. A great significance of biogeochemical regeneration of 

 nutients results from the fact that photosynthesizing plants can consume 

 largely their inorganic forms. Therefore, the rate of regeneration and of 

 their transfer from zones of regeneration to the euphotic layer is a 

 primary factor regulating the productivity of the oceans. The rate of 



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