Dissolved glucose in a bayou estuary, possible sources and utilization by bacteria

Surface and bottom samples were collected twice a month over a period of one year from three stations in Bayou Texar, Pensacola, Florida. Samples were analyzed for primary productivity, inorganic carbon, bacterioplankton heterotrophic productivity, dissolved glucose, and bacterial numbers. Dissolved glucose concentrations were generally high and displayed a seasonal pattern with variations being accompanied by corresponding changes in rates of glucose uptake by bacteria. A relationship between dissolved glucose and carbon fixation was found to exist at the upper station but diminishes toward the lower stations. It is believed that this is most likely the result of increased mixing by wind action.