Porous marine snow differentially benefits chemotactic, motile, and nonmotile bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Particulate organic carbon settling through the marine water column is a key process that regulates the global climate by sequestering atmospheric carbon. The initial colonization of marine particles by heterotrophic bacteria represents the first step in recycling this carbon back to inorganic constituents-setting the magnitude of vertical carbon transport to the abyss. Here, we demonstrate experimentally using millifluidic devices that, although bacterial motility is essential for effective colonization of a particle leaking organic nutrients into the water column, chemotaxis specifically benefits at intermediate and higher settling velocities to navigate the particle boundary layer during the brief window of opportunity provided by a passing particle. We develop an individual-based model

SUBMITTER: Borer B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9944246 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature