Methodological aspects of the determination of the Bacterioplankton number, biomass, and production

The current methods used in world practice for the determination of the basic parameters of the vital functions of bacterioplankton (the number, biomass, and production) are discussed. While comparing the different methods and their modifications, the peculiarities of their application for particular natural or laboratory environments are emphasized. The specificity of applying different microbiological methods for field research is examined. When choosing the methodological base for describing the characteristics of a bacterial community, one should proceed from the specific problem facing the researcher. In the case of routine monitoring, the following techniques are convenient and widely used: direct counts of DAPI fluorochrome-stained bacteria using a fluorescence microscope; the calculation of the biomass of the microorganisms on the basis of the relationship between the cell’s mass and its size; the estimation of the bacteria production via labeled leucine incorporation.