Chapter 46 



The Immediate Tasks of Marine Microbiology 



A. E. Kriss 



Xhe extension of microbiological investigations in varions seas 

 and oceans from the ecological and geographical points of view 

 is one of the primary tasks of marine microbiology. For its 

 speedy fnlfilment, it is necessary to ensure a more systematic 

 participation of microbiologists in oceanographical expeditions. 



The present scale of microbiological studies in seas and 

 oceans cannot be regarded as sufficient. They are still sporadic 

 in character, being carried out by a small number of scientists 

 and lagging behind the work expended on other oceanographical 

 disciplines. Oceanographical sections and surveys, basic methods 

 for the comparative study of the horizontal and vertical distribu- 

 tion of the physical, chemical and biological elements of the 

 environment in various areas of seas and oceans has, so far, not 

 been fully exploited by microbiologists, who usually work only 

 on isolated stations. 



In addition to the organization of systematic microbiological 

 studies on stationary bases, which can include only the sea not 

 more than some dozens of miles from the shore, expeditions 

 should be made during various times of the year, traversing the 

 main areas of the sea, in order to elucidate the seasonal changes 

 in the biomass of microorganisms in the coastal as well as the 

 central areas of the sea. Daily stations, constituting a part of the 

 practice of oceanographical expeditions, should also scr\'e the 

 task of studying the dynamics of the microbial populations. 



Estimates of the biomass of microbial populations of seas 

 and oceans or their separate parts, however, even when sampling 

 is sufficiently frequent, do not produce a true picture of the 

 dynamics of the li\ing cells, if the reproduction rates of micro- 

 organisms under the conditions of their natural habitat are un- 



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