Short communication. Direct and indirect effects of strong grazing by Daphnia galeata on bacterial production in an enclosure experiment

Bacterial production was stimulated in Daphnia enclosures at the beginning of the experiment due to the release of dissolved organic carbon during Daphnia grazing of algae (sloppy feeding). In contrast, bacterial production decreased in the treatments at the end of the experiment. The decline was not caused by reduction of bacterial biomass, but by decreasing biomass-specific production due to a decline of the resources for bacterial growth (phytoplankton biomass and production).