Abstract
Analyses of fecal pellets from the marine copepod Pontella meadi through 14 days of aging at 22 C revealed initial decreases in carbon and nitrogen contents, followed by secondarily fluctuating values for both. Observations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed colonization of the pellets by bacteria and ciliates at 22 C, suggesting that the fluctuations in carbon and nitrogen contents at 22 C reflect microbial carbon and nitrogen levels. At 5 C, carbon levels were virtually unchanged through 14 days of aging, and SEM observation revealed that microbial attachment to-and biodegradation of-the pellets were greatly reduced. This suggests that once fecal pellets descend to the cooler waters of the deep sea, they may be ecologically significant in transporting organic matter to the abyss.