Abundance and biomass of heterotrophic microbes in the Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

1Introduction Heterotrophicmicrobesarenowconsideredtobe significantcomponentsofthestructureandfunctionof marinepelagicecosystems.Heterotrophicbacteriacon- stituteamajorpoolofbiomassinopenecosystem (WilhelmandSuttle,1999).Theyconsumealargepor- tionofprimaryproduction(Li,1998;Sherryetal., 2002;Lietal.,2004),andtheymineralizemostofthe dissolvedorganiccarbonthattheyconsume(Azamet al.,1983;Richetal.,1997;Azam,1998).Therolesof planktonicprotists,suchasheterotrophicflagellates andciliates,inmicro…     

Effects of an Artificial Breakwater on the Distributions of Planktonic Microbial Communities

The summer distributions of planktonic microbial communities (heterotrophic and phtosynthetic bacteria, phtosynthetic and heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliate plankton, and microphytoplankton) were compared between inner and outer areas of Lake Sihwa, divided by an artificial breakwater, located on the western coast of Korea, in September 2003. The semienclosed, inner area was characterized by hyposaline surface water (<17 psu), and by low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (avg. 0.4 mg L¹) and high concentrations of inorganic nutrients (nitrogenous nutrients >36 μM, phosphate <4 μM) in the bottom layer. Higher densities of heterotrophic bacteria and nanoflagellates also occurred in the inner area than did in the outer area, while microphytoplankton (mainly diatoms) occurred abundantly in the outer area. A tiny tintinnid ciliate, Tintinnopsis nana, bloomed into more than 10⁶ cells L¹ at the surface layer of the inner area, while its abundance was much lower (10³-10⁴ cells L¹) in the outer area of the breakwater. Ciliate abundance was highly correlated with heterotrophic bacteria (r = 0.886, p < 0.001) and heterotrophic flagellates (r = 0.962, p < 0.001), indicating that rich food availability may have led to theT. nana bloom. These results suggest that the breakwater causes the eutrophic environment in artificial lakes with limited flushing of enriched water and develops into abundant bacteria, nanoflagellates, and ciliates.     

Diurnal changes in bacterial communities in oxic surface and hypoxic middle seawater layers of the Changjiang River Estuary

The Changjiang River Estuary(CRE) in the East China Sea suffers from seasonal hypoxia in summer. The vertical distributions and seasonal changes of microbial communities in the CRE were well documented. However, little is known about the diurnal changes of bacterial communities in the hypoxic zone of the CRE. Here, 16 S rRNA gene analysis was used to explore the changes of bacterial communities in the oxic surface and hypoxic middle seawater layers during 24 h in the CRE. Significant differences between the hypoxic and oxic layers were observed:the phyla Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Acidimicrobiia were enriched in the oxic layer, whereas the phylum SAR406 and the class Deltaproteobacteria were more abundant in the hypoxic layer. In addition, some subtle diurnal variations of the bacterial relative abundance were found in both two layers. The relative abundance of Synechococcus increased at night, and this change was more obvious in the hypoxic layer. The similar trend was also found in some phototrophic and several heterotrophic bacteria, such as Rhodobacteraceae, OM60 and Flavobacteriaceae. Their relative abundances peaked at 16:00 in the oxic layer, while the relative abundances peaked at around 7:00 and decreased until 13:00 in the hypoxic layer. Together, the results of the present study suggest that some photosynthetic bacteria and several heterotrophic bacteria have similar diurnal variations implying the light and physicochemical heterogeneity in the course of a day are important for bacterial diurnal changes in the CRE.     

Coastal Mediterranean plankton stimulation dynamics through a dust storm event: An experimental simulation

An enhancement of aeolian inputs to the ocean due to a future increase in aridity in certain parts of the world is predicted from global change. We conducted an experimental simulation to assess the biological response of NW Mediterranean coastal surface waters to an episodic dust addition. On the assumption that planktonic growth was limited by phosphorus, dust effects were compared to those induced by equivalent enrichments of phosphate. The experiment analyzed the dynamics of several parameters during one week: inorganic nutrients, total and fractioned chlorophyll a, bacterial abundance, phytoplankton species composition, abundance of autotrophic and heterotrophic flagellates, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen. The maximum addition of dust (0.5 g dust L⁻¹) initiated an increase in bacterial abundance. After 48 h, bacterial numbers decreased due to a peak in heterotrophic flagellates and a significant growth of autotrophic organisms, mainly nanoflagellates but also diatoms, was observed. Conversely, lower inputs of dust (0.05 g dust L⁻¹) and phosphate enrichments (0.5 μmol PO₄³⁻ L⁻¹) only produced increases in phototrophic nanoflagellates. In our experiment, dust triggered bacterial growth, changed phytoplankton dynamics and affected the ratio of autotrophic to heterotrophic biomass, adding to the variability in the sources that affect system dynamics, energy and carbon budgets and ultimately higher trophic levels of the coastal marine food web.     

Full-depth profiles of prokaryotes,heterotrophic nanoflagellates,and ciliates along a transect from the equatorial to the subarctic central Pacific Ocean

Studies in epipelagic waters report higher heterotrophic microbial biomass in the productive high latitudes than in the oligotrophic low latitudes; however, biogeographical data are scarce in the deep ocean. To examine the hypothesis that the observed latitudinal differences in heterotrophic microbial biomass in the epipelagic zone also occur at depth, abundance and biomass of heterotrophic prokaryotes, nanoflagellates (HNF), and ciliates were determined at depths of 5–5000 m in the central Pacific between August and September of 2005. Heterotrophic microbial biomass increased from the tropical to the subarctic region over the full water column, with latitudinal differences in prokaryotic biomass increasing from 2.3-fold in the epipelagic zone to 4.4-fold in the bathypelagic zone. However, the latitudinal difference in HNF and ciliate biomass decreased with depth. In the mesopelagic zone, the vertical attenuation rate of prokaryotic abundance, which was calculated as the linear regression slope of log-log plot of abundance versus depth, ranged from –0.55 to –1.26 and was more pronounced (steeper slope) in the lower latitudes. In contrast, the vertical attenuation rate of HNF in the mesopelagic zone (–1.06 to –1.27) did not differ with latitude. In the subarctic, the attenuation rate of HNF was 1.7 times steeper than for prokaryotes. These results suggest the accumulation of prokaryotes in the deep subarctic Pacific, possibly due to low grazing pressure. Although the vertical attenuation rate of ciliates was steepest in the bathypelagic zone, HNF abundance did not further decrease at depths below 1000 m, except for at 2000 m where HNF was lowest across the study area. Ciliate abundance ranged 0.3–0.8 cells l^–1 at 4000 m, and were below the detection limit (<0.1 cells l ^–1) at 5000 m. To our knowledge, this study presents the first data for ciliates below 2000 m.     

Community structure and grazing of the nano-microzooplankton on the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay

In order to investigate the parameters controlling the heterotrophic protists (nano-microzooplankton) on the continental shelf of the southern Bay of Biscay, plankton communities and their physico-chemical environment were studied 4 times in February, April, June and September–October 2004 at three stations in the euphotic zone in the Bay of Biscay. The abundance and carbon biomass of heterotrophic protists (ciliates, heterotrophic dinoflagellates and nanoflagellates) as well as all the others groups of plankton (picoplankton, nanophytoplankton, diatoms, autotrophic dinoflagellates, metazoan microzooplankton and mesozooplankton), the environmental parameters and the primary and bacteria production were evaluated at each sampling period. Microzooplankton grazing experiments were undertaken at the same time. Ciliates and heterotrophic dinoflagellates accounted for the main major component of nano- and microzooplankton communities in term of biomass. The total carbon biomass of heterotrophic protists was highest in spring and lowest at the end of summer. The development of heterotrophic protists started after a winter microphytoplankton bloom (principally large diatoms), the biomass was lower in June and was low in September (through inappropriate prey). The carbon requirement of microzooplankton ranged from 50 to more than 100% of daily primary, bacterial and nanoflagellate production. The heterotrophic protist community was predominantly constrained by bottom-up control in spring and at the end of summer via food availability and quality.     

Abundance, variability, and potential grazing impact of planktonic ciliates in the open subaratic Pacific Ocean

The abundance and variability of planktonic ciliates in the open subarctic Pacific were determined during four month-long cruises in 1987 and 1988. The ciliate community, numerically dominated by relatively small aloricate choreotrichs, was comparable in abundance to communities in a range of oceanic and neritic environments, including waters with much higher average chlorophyll concentrations. Integrated (0–80m) ciliate biomass was typically 100–200mgC m⁻², although 3- to 4-fold higher levels were observed on two occasions in spring. Ciliate community biomass, in general, was dominated by large (>20μm width) individuals, although in August 1988 the biomass of smaller cells was as great or greater. The estimated grazing impact of the ciliate community averaged 20% of the primary production. On one instance in May 1988, however, a large biomass of ciliates led to an estimated grazing impact equivalent to 55% of phytoplankton production. While ciliates may be major phytoplankton grazers during sporadic ciliate “blooms”, dino- and other heterotrophic flagellates, which make up the bulk of microheterotroph biomass, must normally be of equal or greater importance as herbivores in this ocean region.     

Diel vertical distribution of planktonic ciliates within the surface layer of the NW Mediterranean (May 1995)

The composition and vertical distribution of planktonic ciliates within the surface layer was monitored over four diel cycles in May 95, during the JGOFS-France DYNAPROC cruise in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Ciliates were placed into size and trophic categories: micro- and nano-heterotrophic ciliates, mixotrophic ciliates, tintinnids and the autotrophic Mesodinium rubrum. Mixotrophic ciliates (micro and nano) represented an average of 46% of oligotrich abundance and 39% of oligotrich biomass; nano-ciliates (hetero and mixotrophic) were abundant, representing about 60 and 17% of oligotrich abundance and biomass, respectively. Tintinnid ciliates were a minor part of heterotrophic ciliates. The estimated contribution of mixotrophs to chlorophyll a concentration was modest, never exceeding 9% in discrete samples. Vertical profiles of ciliates showed that chlorophyll-containing ciliates (mixotrophs and autotrophs) were mainly concentrated and remained at the chlorophyll a maximum depth. In contrast, among heterotrophic ciliates, a portion of the population appeared to migrate from 20–30 m depth during the day to the surface at night or in the early morning. Correlation analyses of ciliate groups and phytoplankton pigments showed a strong relationship between nano-ciliates and zeaxanthin, and between chlorophyll-containing ciliates and chlorophyll a, as well as other pigments that were maximal at the chlorophyll a maximum depth. Total surface layer concentrations showed minima of ciliates during nightime/early morning hours.     

The green–blue swing: plasticity of plankton food‐webs in response to coastal oceanographic dynamics

The internal organization of plankton communities plays a key role in biogeochemical cycles and in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the structure of a marine plankton community (including both unicellular and multicellular organisms) was inferred by applying an ecological network approach to species abundances observed weekly at the long‐term ecological research station MareChiara (LTER‐MC) in the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea) in the summers of 2002–2009. Two distinct conditions, characterized by different combination of salinity and chlorophyll values, alternated at the site: one influenced by coastal waters, herein named ‘green’, and the other reflecting more offshore conditions, named ‘blue’. The green and blue ‘phases’ showed different keystone biological elements: namely, large diatoms and small‐sized flagellates, respectively. Several correlations amongst species belonging to different trophic groups were found in both phases (connectance ~0.30). In the green phase, several links between phytoplankton and mesozooplankton and within the latter were detected, suggesting matter flow from microbes up to carnivorous zooplankton. A microbial‐loop‐like sub‐web, including mixo‐ and heterotrophic dinoflagellates and ciliates, was present in the green phase, but it was relatively more important in the blue phase. The latter observation suggests a more intense cycling of matter at the microbial trophic level in the blue phase. These results show that different modes of ecological organization can emerge from relatively small changes in the composition of aquatic communities coping with environmental variability. This highlights a significant plasticity in the internal structure of plankton webs, which should be taken into account in predictions of the potential effects of climatic oscillations on aquatic ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles therein.     

Seasonal variation in the community and size structure of nano- and microzooplankton in Gyeonggi Bay,Yellow Sea

To investigate the seasonal variation and community structure of nano- and microzooplankton in Gyeonggi Bay of the Yellow Sea, the abundance and carbon biomass of nano- and microzooplankton were evaluated at 10-day intervals from January 1997 to December 1999. Four major groups of nano- and microzooplankton communities were classified: heterotrophic ciliates, heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HDF), heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF), and copepod nauplii. The total carbon biomass of nano- and microzooplankton ranged from 10.2 to 168.8 μg C L⁻¹ and was highest during or after phytoplankton blooms. Nano- and microzooplankton communities were composed of heterotrophic ciliates (7.4–81.4%; average 41.7% of total biomass), HDF (0.1–70.3%; average 26.1% of total biomass), copepod nauplii (1.6–70.6%; average 20.7% of total biomass), and HNF (0.8–59.5%; average 11.5% of total biomass). The relative contribution of individual components in the nano- and microzooplankton communities appeared to differ by seasons. Ciliates accounted for the most major component of nano- and microzooplankton communities, except during summer and phytoplankton blooming seasons, whereas HDF were more dominant during the phytoplankton blooming seasons. The abundance and biomass of nano- and microzooplankton generally followed the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton. The size and community distribution of nano- and microzooplankton was positively correlated with size-fractionated phytoplankton. The carbon requirement of microzooplankton ranged from 60 to 83% of daily primary production, and was relatively high when phytoplankton biomass was high. Therefore, our result suggests that the seasonal variation in the community and size composition of nano- and microzooplankton appears to be primarily governed by phytoplankton size and concentration as a food source, and their abundance may greatly affect trophic dynamics by controlling the seasonal abundance of phytoplankton.     

Deposit feeding ecology of Amphibola crenata I. Long‐term effects of deposit feeding on sediment micro‐organisms

Short‐term effects of deposit feeding on benthic micro‐organisms are known from several marine environments, but longer‐term influences of deposit feeders have not been extensively investigated. The long‐term microbial response to deposit feeding by the gastropod Amphibola crenata was monitored in a 10‐month field study where deposit feeding intensity was controlled in artificial enclosures. The presence of the snail resulted in a minor decrease in bacterial numbers and a slight increase in heterotrophic activity relative to bacterial cell numbers. This effect may have been the long‐term signature of a previously reported pulse in bacterial production during the recolonisation of Amphibola faeces. Normal snail density had a strong inhibitory effect on primary productivity by the benthic microalgae, reducing CO₂ fixation to 29–47% of levels that could be attained when snails were excluded. Variations in the effect of deposit feeding on micro‐organisms over the experimental period suggest that it may be modified by seasonal factors acting on benthic communities. In a similar interaction of influences, seasonal changes in microbial biomass and activity appeared to vary with snail density.     

Heterotrophic flagellates in the littoral and sublittoral zones of the southeast part of the Pechora Sea

For the first time, data on the heterotrophic flagellate fauna in the littoral and the sublittoral zones of the southeastern part of the Pechora Sea were obtained. Sixty-six heterotrophic flagellate species were found in the study region: 48 and 42 species were found on the shelf and in the intertidal zone, respectively. The most common species were Cafeteria roenbergensis, Paraphysomonas sp., Ancyromonas sigmoides, Cafeteria minuta, Actinomonas mirabilis, and Spumella sp. The littoral fauna of the heterotrophic flagellates was more peculiar than the sublittoral fauna and equally rich. In the region studied, the community can be divided into two types: (a) the predominantly littoral community characterized by a special composition of the dominant species and by high similarity between its local varieties and (b) the heterogeneous predominantly sublittoral community characterized by a lack of a complex of particular species. The local diversity of the heterotrophic flagellate community was low (on the average, 4.5 species per one sample 1 cm³ in volume). The overall distribution pattern of the flagellates was extremely heterogeneous. The large amount of species that were encountered only once causes a great variability in the species structure from one station to another. The total number of the species monotonously increased with the growth in the number of samples and no manifested saturation of the cumulative curve was reached. This indicates the potentially greater diversity of the heterotrophic flagellate species in the region studied.     

桑沟湾浮游纤毛虫丰度和生物量分布的季节变化

于2011年4、8、10月及2012年1月对桑沟湾进行了浮游纤毛虫丰度和生物量的季节调查。纤毛虫的平均丰度为(7 552±10 979)个/L,范围为408~61 667个/L;纤毛虫的平均生物量(以碳计)为(4.79±5.77)μg/L,范围为0.35~33.09 μg/L。无壳纤毛虫丰度和生物量主要分布在湾内,湾中和湾外丰度相对较低;砂壳纤毛虫丰度和生物量在盐度较高的海区总体较高,呈现朝向外海分布的趋势。纤毛虫丰度和生物量的高值区春季主要出现在湾的西北,夏季向湾中部迁移,秋季主要出现在湾的西南,冬季主要出现在湾的西部,高值区随季节大致呈顺时针迁移的趋势。纤毛虫的丰度春季最高,冬季最低;生物量夏季最高,冬季最低。无壳纤毛虫夏季粒级较大,冬季粒级较小;砂壳纤毛虫壳的平均口径夏季较大,秋季较小。共鉴定出砂壳纤毛虫8属27种,其中拟铃虫属(Tintinnopsis)种数最多。砂壳纤毛虫在纤毛虫总丰度中的比例平均为16.3%±21.9%,夏季最高(36.3%±27.8%),冬季最低(4.9%±5.9%)。纤毛虫丰度与温度、盐度、Chl a浓度及微微型真核浮游生物丰度均没有明显的相关性,但与蓝细菌及异养细菌丰度呈显著的正相关关系。     

The influence of geological, geochemical, and biogenic habitat heterogeneity on seep biodiversity

Cold seeps are among the most heterogeneous of all continental margin habitats. Abiotic sources of heterogeneity in these systems include local variability in fluid flow, geochemistry, and substrate type, which give rise to different sets of microbial communities, microbial symbiont-bearing foundation species, and associated heterotrophic species. Biogenic habitats created by microbial mats and the symbiotic species including vesicomyid clams, bathymodiolin mussels, and siboglinid tubeworms add an additional layer of complexity to seep habitats. These forms of habitat heterogeneity result in a variety of macrofaunal and meiofaunal communities that respond to changes in structural complexity, habitat geochemistry, nutrient sources, and interspecific interactions in different ways and at different scales. These responses are predicted by a set of theoretical metacommunity models, the most appropriate of which for seep systems appears to be the 'species sorting' concept, an extension of niche theory. This concept is demonstrated through predictable patterns of community assembly, succession, and beta-level diversity. These processes are described using a newly developed analytical technique examining the change in the slope of the species accumulation curve with the number of habitats examined. The diversity response to heterogeneity has a consistent form, but quantitatively changes at different seep sites around the world as the types of habitats present and the size-classes of fauna analyzed change. The increase in beta diversity across seep habitat types demonstrates that cold seeps and associated biogenic habitats are significant sources of heterogeneity on continental margins globally.     

Feeding behaviour of adult Centropages hamatus (Copepoda, Calanoida): Functional response and selective feeding experiments

The feeding behaviour of adults of the marine calanoid copepod Centropages hamatus was studied in laboratory experiments with ciliates and phytoplankton as food sources. The ingestion rate of algal (flagellates, diatoms) and ciliate prey (oligotrichs) as a function of prey concentration could be described by a Holling type III functional response, with close to zero ingestion rates at concentrations below 5 µg C l^− 1. In general, ingestion of ciliates was higher than ingestion of algae, and maximum feeding rates by adult males reached were half the feeding rates of adult females at prey concentrations exceeding 50 µg C l^− 1. When diatoms and ciliates were offered together C. hamatus (both sexes) fed exclusively on ciliates as long as they contributed with more than 5% to the mixture. This indicates the capability of active prey selection and switching between suspension feeding and ambush predation. Therefore, the feeding behaviour of adult C. hamatus can be characterised as omnivorous with a preference for larger motile prey. This implies a trophic level above two, if there is a sufficient abundance of protozoan food available.     

Plankton community diversity from bacteria to copepods in bloom and non-bloom conditions in the Celtic Sea in spring

The plankton community composition comprising heterotrophic bacteria, pro-/eukaryotes, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, microzooplankton and mesozooplankton was assessed during the spring bloom and at non-bloom stations in the English Channel and Celtic Sea between 6 and 12 April 2002. Non-bloom sites were characterised by a dominance of pro-/eukaryotic phytoplankton <20 μm, higher abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, microzooplankton standing stocks ranging between 60 and 380 mg C m⁻², lower mesozooplankton diversity and copepod abundance of between 760 and 2600 ind m⁻³. Within the bloom, the phytoplankton community was typically dominated by larger cells with low abundance of pro-/eukaryotes. Heterotrophic nanoflagellate cell bio-volume decreased leading to a reduction in biomass whereas microzooplankton biomass increased (360–1500 mg C m⁻²) due to an increase in cell bio-volume and copepod abundance ranged between 1400 and 3800 ind m⁻³. Mesozooplankton diversity increased with an increase in productivity. Relationships between the plankton community and environmental data were examined using multivariate statistics and these highlighted significant differences in the abiotic variables, the pro-/eukaryotic phytoplankton communities, heterotrophic nanoflagellate, microzooplankton and total zooplankton communities between the bloom and non-bloom sites. The variables which best described variation in the microzooplankton community were temperature and silicate. The spatial variation in zooplankton diversity was best explained by temperature. This study provides an insight into the changes that occur between trophic levels within the plankton in response to the spring bloom in this area.     

黄海水母旺发区浮游鞭毛虫和纤毛虫群落结构分布及其与水母发生关系初探

鞭毛虫和纤毛虫在海洋微食物环和经典食物链间的能量流动中起着重要的枢纽作用,但其在水母暴发过程中的作用仍然不明。本研究基于2011年春季以及水母旺发的夏季黄海专项航次,通过荧光染色技术和定量蛋白银法研究了南黄海水母频发海域3个断面(E:33°N,G:34°N,I:35°N)的鞭毛虫和纤毛虫的群落结构和时空分布特点,对其与水母的发生关系进行了初步探讨。结果表明,春夏两季的微型鞭毛虫丰度均以近岸水域为最高,向外海递减,高值区大多出现在水体表层及底层附近。夏季总微型鞭毛虫的丰度和生物量较春季略高,且异养微型鞭毛虫比例升高。纤毛虫丰度的水平分布与鞭毛虫正相反,以近岸较低,向外海递增,主要分布在表层及10m水层。在水母出现的E和G断面,夏季纤毛虫数量显著降低,丰度仅为春季的30%—40%;而未见水母的I断面夏季较春季的数量升高了一个数量级。推测夏季水母发生的E、G断面纤毛虫丰度明显降低系因水母的捕食压力所致,纤毛虫数量的减少导致对鞭毛虫的摄食压力降低,鞭毛虫数量增加;而未见水母的I断面纤毛虫则维持较高的丰度值。本研究表明,水母作为浮游生态系统的顶级捕食者,可通过营养级联效应对微小型浮游动物群落产生影响。     

Seasonal variations in abundance,growth and mortality of heterotrophic bacteria in Kagoshima Bay

Seasonal changes in abundance, growth and mortality of heterotrophic bacteria were investigated monthly from collections and dilution experiments in Kagoshima Bay, the southernmost of Japan. Bacteria occurred abundantly with considerable variation in the surface layers where chlorophyll a concentrations were high, whereas seasonal variations were obscure below 100 m. Especially, bacteria showed a decline of cell density toward summer when heterotrophic nano-flagellates increased their abundance. Seasonal and vertical variations in bacterial cell number during the study period were positively correlated with those of water temperature and pico-sized chlorophyll a concentration. Maximum growth and mortality rates showed positive correlations with water temperature but no positive relationships to size-fractionated chlorophyll a. Net increase rate (i.e. in situ rate if abundance changes) was negatively correlated with cell density of heterotrophic nano-flagellates. It is concluded that bacterial abundance is controlled by the resultant (i.e. net growth rate) of the balance between maximum growth and predatory mortality by heterotrophic nano-flagelllates which are both dependent on ambient temperature.     

黄海底栖纤毛虫的群落结构与时空变化

采用密度梯度离心结合定量蛋白银染色(Ludox-QPS)方法,对2010年7月和11月获自黄海海域沉积物中的底栖纤毛虫进行了群落结构研究,并结合环境因子进行了分析。结果表明:7月浒苔暴发期间,纤毛虫现存量以北黄海、南黄海近岸和长江口外海域较高,南黄海离岸站位较低;11月的纤毛虫丰度和生物量均明显高于7月,南黄海近岸站位的丰度和生物量较高,且向外海随水深增大呈减少的趋势。11月丰度和生物量前三位的类群与7月一致,前口类丰度所占比例最高,核残迹类生物量所占比例最高。肉食性纤毛虫均是两个月份的最优势摄食类群。11月纤毛虫的物种数、Margalef指数和香农-威纳指数均高于7月,且均以南黄海近岸海域较高,而离岸海域较低;纤毛虫丰度、生物量、物种数、Margalef和香农-威纳指数与底层水温度和沉积物中值粒径呈显著正相关。冷水团对底栖纤毛虫群落结构和分布有一定的影响,且是多个环境因子的共同影响。两个月份纤毛虫群落间的Jaccard相似系数值高于单个月份南北黄海和冷水团内外的系数值,表明黄海底栖纤毛虫的物种组成在季节间的差异可能小于不同海域之间的差异。7月南黄海近岸较高的纤毛虫现存量和多样性表明,浒苔的死亡和降解可能通过级联效应促进了近岸站位纤毛虫的生长。