Dissolved DNA concentrations in the Bransfield Strait, 1986-1987

RACER: Dissolved DNA concentrations in the Bransfield Strait, 1986-1987

(iii; 31* 42* 54* 19* 30' 41' 53' 63*

MEGAN D. BAILIFF and DAVID

M. KARL

Department of Oceanography University of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

18* 29* 40' 52* 62* 51 * * 9 17 28* iipis

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a fundamental constituent of all living organisms and, in aquatic ecosystems, is also present in non-living particulate organic material (Holm-Hansen, Sutcliffe, and Sharp 1968; Hobbie et al. 1972; Winn and Karl 1986). The ratio of biomass (living) DNA to total particulate DNA varies among different habitats, ranging from 0.5-1.0 in surface waters to