Photosynthetic diatoms and marine bacteria contribute about one third of the net primary production in marine environments. Understanding the interactions between these two organisms is potentially important to the over all flow of carbon in the marine ecosystem.
The bioavailability of chemical compounds in the marine environment fundamentally influences the growth and physiology of microorganisms. Organic and inorganic chemicals that are produced by some marine plankton can be consumed by other plankton for energy production, growth, or to initiate essential physiological processes. Cultures of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana,...