The ecology of CytophagaâFlavobacteria in aquatic environments

Culture-dependent and -independent studies have found that prokaryotic assemblages are quite diverse in aquatic habitats and contain representatives of virtually all of the roughly 40 divisions of bacteria and the major archaeal groups found so far in the biosphere [1]. Fortunately, not all of these prokaryotic groups are abundant in the plankton nor important in all biogeochemical cycles. Autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria dominate the prokaryotic biomass in surface waters, as Archaea appear to be abundant only in the plankton of the deep oceans [2]. Among the heterotrophic bacteria, the two most abundant groups are often the Proteobacteria and the subject of this review, the Cytophaga–Flavobacteria…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy