SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL CHANGES IN THE PARTITIONING OF ORGANIC-CARBON INTHE PLANKTON COMMUNITY OF THE SARGASSO SEA OFF BERMUDA

The vertical distribution of plankton (bacteria, nanozooplankton, micr ozooplankton, mesozooplankton, macrozooplankton and salps) biomass in the photic zone near the JGOFS time series station off Bermuda was exa mined during 2-3 week periods in August 1989 and in March/April 1990. The amount of phytoplankton carbon in the photic zone was lower in Aug ust as compared to March/April (398 and 912 mg C m(-2), respectively). Total heterotrophic biomass in the photic zone was also lower in Augu st as compared to March/April (1106 and 1795 m(-2) respectively). Take n together, bacteria and nanozooplankton constituted approximately 70% of the total heterotrophic carbon in the photic zone on both cruises. Considering their high weight-specific carbon demand relative to micr o-, meso-, and macrozooplankton, it is clear that most of the carbon i n the surface waters of the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda cycles through b acteria and flagellates-the ''microbial loop''. However, both seasonal (August vs. March/April) and within-cruise variations in the vertical flux of organic material were related to the biomass of macrozooplank ton. Macrozooplankton biomass was lower in August than March/April (93 and 267 mg C m(-2) respectively). There was more non-living carbon (d etritus) than living carbon in the photic zone during the August cruis e (70% of total organic matter) but about equal amounts of detritus an d living carbon in March/April.