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Microbial activity in surface sediments of Chacopata-Bocaripo lagoon axis, Sucre State, Venezuela

Abstract:

The aim of this work was to evaluate the microbial activity of the surface sediments (0-10cm) of the Chacopata-Bocaripo lagoon axis (Ch-BLA) through microbiological parameters: microbial biomass (Cmic) dehydrogenase activity (DHS), fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (HFDA), arginine ammonification (AA) and biochemical parameters: phosphatase (PHa) and urease (URa) activity. They were determined during transition (July 2010) and upwelling (March 2011) periods. Total organic carbon (TOC) did not vary significantly (p≥0.05) between climatic periods. All the parameters studied were higher in upwelling season: Cmic (191.79mgCmickg-1), DHS (228.70μgTFFg-124h-1), HFDA (204.09μg fluoresceing-124h-1), AA (13.09μgNH4-Ng-1h-1), PHa (132.31μg pNFg-1h-1), URa (12.90μgNH4-Ng-1h-1). They appear to be controlled by the availability and quality of nutrients in each climatic period, and were useful tools for evaluating changes in microbial activity in marine sediments.