Relationship between the suspended particulate matter and microorganisms in the White Sea waters

During the summer periods of 2003–2005, the spatial and vertical distributions of the suspended particulate matter and bacteria in stratified and homogeneous waters of the White Sea was studied. The results of the study of various quantitative characteristics of the suspended particulate matter (first of all, the area of the surface and the volumetric and mass concentrations) and the abundance of microorganisms in the water are discussed. A direct correlation between the value of the surface area of the suspended particulate matter and the total number of bacteria in the water is revealed. However, it was manifested only during the early summer period of the observations and was not expressed at the end of the summer. The enhanced surface area of the suspended particulate matter can indicate the higher biochemical activity of its particles. The influence of the pelitic fraction on the bacteria abundance in different parts of the sea during the summer is estimated.