%0 Journal Article
%T Bacterial biomass distribution in the global ocean
%A E. T. Buitenhuis
%A W. K. W. Li
%A M. W. Lomas
%A D. M. Karl
%J Earth System Science Data Discussions
%D 2012
%I Copernicus Publications
%R 10.5194/essdd-5-301-2012
%X We compiled a database of bacterial abundance of 39 766 data points. After gridding with 1¡ã spacing, the database covers 1.3% of the ocean surface. There is data covering all ocean basins and depth except the Southern Hemisphere below 350 m or from April until June. The average bacterial biomass is 3.9 ¡À 3.6 ¦Ìg l 1 with a 20-fold decrease between the surface and the deep sea. We estimate a total ocean inventory of about 1.3 ¡Á 1029 bacteria. Using an average of published open ocean measurements for the conversion from abundance to carbon biomass of 9.1 fg cell 1, we calculate a bacterial carbon inventory of about 1.2 Pg C. The main source of uncertainty in this inventory is the conversion factor from abundance to biomass. http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.779142
%U http://www.earth-syst-sci-data-discuss.net/5/301/2012/essdd-5-301-2012.pdf