production-rate estimates from an oceanic station (50°N, 145°W) in the Gulf of
Alaska. Bacteria were increasing after a strong storm mixed the water column,
diluting the surface layer and reducing bacterial numbers. A close correspondence is
implied between bacterial abundance and bacterial metabolic activity, indicating a
constant growth rate.
(After Kirchman 1992.)
Single observations of TdR incorporation rate from the field are converted to cell
increase by application of a mean TdR conversion factor (TCF) like the 2 × 10^18 cells
(mol TdR)−1 mentioned in Box 5.1. It is usually desired to compare these rates of cell
increase to bacterial standing stock (biomass), which can be approximated by
multiplying direct counts by a typical value of the amount of organic carbon per cell.
Lee & Fuhrman (1987) showed that there is a somewhat surprising negative