MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE REGION OF THE NORTH POLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A005100660003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2009
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 19, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

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Microbiological Research in the Region of the North Pole
A. E. Kriss
Vestnik Akad. Nauk SSSR, No. 1: 30-40 (1955)
To Soviet researchers belong the outstanding role in the
microbiological investigations of Arctic seas. From our native work
science has attained fundamental data concerning microbic populations
of the Arctic Ocean and the significance of microorganisms in cycles of
material emanating in the polar basin. All seas reaching the northern
coast of the European-Asian continent were examined: &trent Sea, Kara
Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukot Sea. A large monograph by
academician B. L. Isachenko "Research on Bacteria of the Arctic Ocean"
(1908) was the first monograph about microorganisms of the Arctic.
However, microbiological research in the Arctic seas was carried
out before the present time only adjoining continents or islands of the
region--in the shelf part of these seas or on the continental slope.
The same samples of northern water for microbiological examination were
obtained by V. S. Butkevich (1935) from 82?42' north latitude, but they
were taken from the upper layer of the ocean. In deep water areas of
the central Arctic Ocean, there was no research in respect to
microbiology.
Meanwhile fundamental questions of the productivity of the waters
of the polar basin and dynamic life phenomena in this area of the
world oceans cannot be settled without detailed characteristics of
microbiological processes taking place in enormous water mass and in
the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, under ice floe of several years
standing, beyond the immediate influence of the continental slope.
Unprecedented possibility for microbiological research in the
central Arctic occurred with the organization of drifting
scientific stations. By the author's persistent purpose, two
flights were achieved--in July and September 1954--to drifting
scientific station "North Pole-3". In July the coordinates of the
station for taking daily water and mud samples for microbiological
study (13/vii) were: 88?04'3" north latitude and 151016' west
longitude. The ocean depth under the station was 3450 meters.
After two months' drift the station was almost immediately over the
North Pole and in September the daily collection of water samples and
soil (9/ix) occurred at 89?29'5" north latitude and 65?43' west
longitude. The depth of the ocean under the station equaled 4116
meters.
Translated from Kriss (1955) p. 30
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Kriss (1955) p. 31
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In July the drifting station was located on the Pacific side of
the submerged ridge of Lomonosov , and in September--on the Atlantic
side of it, which introduced great interest for relative
microbiological research.. As is known, this submerged ridge, exposed
by Soviet investigators, extends approximately from New Siberia
islands across the region of the North Pole toward Greenland and
Ellesmere. The height of the submerged mountain in some places in the
central Arctic exceeds 3000 meters.
The microbiological laboratory on the drifting station was
organized in a hydrologic tent. Samples of water and soil from the
ocean were obtained through a hole in the ice (diameter almost 2 m)
with the help of a-special winch, constructed by the Arctic Institute.
For water samples a bottle of the Arctic Institute was used and for
extracting a column of mud--a tube of the system of Alekseeva (of the
same Institute). All equipment necessary for the research was
delivered by boat.
In July the water samples were taken from depths: 0 (surface
layer of water next to the ice), 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250,
300, 400, 500, 600, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, and 3400 in.
In September to depths from 0 to 3000 were added depths of 3500 and
3700 m. In such a manner all strata of the water in the ocean from the
surface to the bottom were examined in sufficient detail.
Before removing the water from the bottle the stopcock of it was
flamed thoroughly, after this, subsequent to draining off a certain
amount of water, sterile flasks were filled. From a given water sample
30 ml were filtered through an ultrafilter No. 3. After this the
filter was superimposed on the surface of meat-peptone agar, prepared
from Pacific Ocean water, in Petri dishes. Thanks to the diffusion of
nutritious substances from the agar through the filter,hacteria settled
on its surface were able to propagate and to produce colonies.
The Petri dishes with filters were put in sterile metal cans, which
were then placed on a shelf in the top of the tent. With the help of a
gas plate the temperature in the top layer of the air in the tent was
sustained at a level between 25-30?C. After 4 days' incubation were
counted a large number of colonies growing on every filter, and after
this they were plated on meat agar slants of the same composition.
From this bacteria producing characteristic colonies were obtained for
microbiological study. All of this part of the research was conducted
on the drifting station.
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Profiting from the opportunity to express profound thanks for
assistance in conductiong these studies to the chief of the drifting
station "North Pole-3", A. F. Treshnekov, and also to my immediate and
energetic assistants in the work in the tent, to coworkers of the
station, Dr. Volovich and hydrologist V. A. Shamontev.
Final analyses of the collected materials was carried out in
Moscow by coworkers in the branch of Marine Microbiology, Institute
of Microbiology of the Academy of Science SSSR, V. I. Biruzova, A. S.
Techoninko and V. A. Lambina.
Table 1 presents data of the number of bacterial colonies,
propagated from water samples which were obtained from given depths of
the Arctic Ocean in the region of the North Pole, and of the composition
of these colonies. From the number of colonies it is possible to
estimate the quantity of heterotrophic microorganisms living in the
water of the ocean and capable of growing in albuminous media under
laboratory conditions of culture.
From the table, heterotrophic bacteria appear to occur in almost
all depths of the polar basin in the region of the North Pole. The fact
that in separate occurrences bacteria were not found (at depth 75 m in
September and 3400 m in July) is indicative, by no means of sterility of
the layers of water, but only, as Wawa in our studies in' the Pacific
Ocean, of small content of bacteria in a known quantity of water. By
filtering sufficiently large volumes of water, heterotrophic bacteria
appear in all depths of the ocean.
Characteristically, July and September water samples from the same
surface layer of the ocean in separation near the ice were distinguished
by the contents of heterotrophic bacteria. In July, when life is richer
even in the icy scope of the central Arctic, continuous growth of
bacteria utilizing easily assimilable organic material for their
activity appeared on the surface of filters from zero depth.
Attention is directed to the sane circumstance, that comparatively
large numbers of heterotrophs were found at depth 100 m in July and at
depth 150 and 200 m in September. As is known, by studies on drifting
stations also while at high latitudes, aerial expeditions for data on
depths disclosed layers of water distinctive from Arctic water.
Possibly there is direct connection between these hydrologic features
and the increased content of heterotrophic bacteria at depths 100-200 m.
At the junction of water masses, even with low difference in the
density of abutting waters, conditions are created for relative
concentration of organic materials, and, as a result of this, for large
growth of bacterial life. Experience shows that bacteria respond even
to extremely low variations of contents of easily assimilable organic
matter. Consequently it is very essential to combine microbiological
Kriss (1955) PP. 31-33
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Table 1
Number and kinds of heterotrophic microorganisms which grew on
albuminous media inoculated with Arctic Ocean water collected
near the North Pole
Water Water collected July 1954
lentjL____Sells/liter Moroholomv
Water collected Sept. 1954
Cells/liter Moruholomv
Meters
0 Overgrown
Bacilli
525
S & N rods*
10
1120
N rods, yeast
1995
N rods, yeast,
cocci
25
35
Yeast
2485
S rods
50
315
S rods
350
S & N rods
75
490
N rods
735
S rods
100
2660
N rods
140
S rods
150
210
N rods
2660
N rods
200
35
N rods, yeast
3045
N rods
250
455
N rods, yeast
665
N rods
300
Overgrown
S rods
980
N rods
400
280
N rods
150
S rods
500
455
N rods
245
S rods
600
490
N rods
750
70
N rods
0
1000
420
S rods
175
N rods
1500
70
N rods
105
N rods
2000
175
S rods
210
S & N rods
2500
280
N rods
245
N rods
3000
210
N rods
35
S rods
3500
350
S rods
3700
140
N rods
*S = Sporeforming rods; N = Nonsporeforming rods
Kriss (1955) p. 32
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studies with hydrology. Already first observations show that micro-
organisms can be used in a series of cases as indicators for the
characteristic origin and dynamics of water masses.
. In the microbiological laboratory on the drifting station water
samples, taken from almost all depths from top to bottom, were put
into glass stoppered sterile flasks (capacity 250 ml) in which were
earlier put narrow pieces of glass. Then the flasks were closed with
ground glass stoppers and in such condition were kept approximately a
week at temperatures 5-7?C and later (in Moscow) at temperatures 18-22?.
As is known, in sea water, taken from different depths and poured
into sterile flasks with ground glass stoppers, usually according to the
lapse of time, the quantity of heterotrophic microorganisms increases
10, 100,000, and even a million times. Since not any food materials are
added to the Malik, it is obvious that reproduction of heterotrophs
results at the expense of organic matter occurring in the water. In
natural conditions it is represented chiefly by persistent, not easily
assimilable by microorganisms, so-called water humus. Consequently in
water of the open regions of the sea and ocean, even in its superficial
layer, is a column of insignificant content of heterotrophs, growing in
albuminous medium in laboratory conditions. In sea water poured into
flasks a transformation of this organic material into a form accessible
to microorganisms results. On the surface portion of the glass the
water performs adsorption phenomenon, which reduces by accumulation and
quantitative conversion the aqueous organic matter into a form easily
available to microorganisms. As a consequence of this appears activated
reproduction of heterotrophs, utilizing the container for their
adsorption of organic material.
It was interesting to show if organic material from the ocean
depths in the region of the North Pole is capable of being changed so
much that the structure is available for nourishment of heterotrophic
microorganisms. It appeared that after 2-4 months of storing the
number of heterotrophs increased to thousands and ten thousand times in
the bottles over water taken not only at the surface layer but also from
depths 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, and more meters. For instance, in
recently collected water samples from depth of 1000 is 175 heterotrophic
bacteria (calculated in 1 liter of water) were detected, but after 2
months in the same bottles more than 2,600,000 bacteria were counted.
In bottles of water taken from depth 2000 m, the number of heterotrophs
for the same time grew from 210 to 11,300,000 and from depth 3500 is?
from 350 to 5,000,000 bacteria.
Krias (1955) pP.33 -34
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Thus during the storage of water even from great depths, where, as
it is the custom to assume, is accumulated organic compounds most
resistant to the action of bacteria, the conversion of water humus to a
form utilizable by microorganisms is possible. Similar processes result
in all water masses at the boundaries of contact of suspended particles
from water.
Heterotrophic microorganisms isolated from samples of water from
different depths, multiplying in artificial media of albuminous
compounds, appear mainly as rod-like form. Among them are observed
short and long bacilli, thin and thick, homogeneous and with granular
content, motile and non-motile. Most of them do not form spores, but
sporeforming bacteria do occur in different depths. Cocci were
detected only in certain layers of the ocean.
Interesting yeast organisms were found. Colonies of white and red
colored yeast grew from water samples taken from depths 0, 10, 25, 100,
250 m and from mud from depth 3450 m. Discovering yeast in the region
of the North Pole attests that they, like bacteria, do not have north
boundaries or occurrence.
In order to compile a description of the general number of micro-
organisms and of their morphological composition from different depths
of the Arctic Ocean in the region of the North Pole, direct
,adcrobiological isolations were conducted. In microbiological
laboratory on the drifting station, 15 ml from each water sample was
passed through a filter membrane by the method of E. A. Rukina and
V. N. Birmov. The filter with the sediment of bacterial cells on its
surface was placed in fumes of formalin for fixation of the microbial
cells, after which they were stained with 1% erythrosine in 5% phenol
for 24 hours, and were cleared in cedar oil. A survey of the filter
was made under the microscope with the immersion objective for high
magnification. In 100 visual fields, that in 10,000 square ocular
grids, the number of microbial cells were counted and their morphologic
composition was determined. By known area of the filter and the volume
of water filtered through, it is possible (by correlated formula) to
determine the quantitative contents of microorganisms in 1 ml of water
from a given sample.
In Table 2 is reduced data of the general number of microorganisms
in 1 ml of water from all depths of the ocean in the region of the
North Pole in July and September and, for comparison, on a series of
stations in the north-west part of the Pacific Ocean. As seen from the
table, direct microscopic determination of the cells on a membrane
ultrafilter provides for getting more complete representation of the
quantity of microbic population in different layers of the Arctic Ocean
than the method of culture. For example, at about 150-250 in the number
Kriss (1955) P. 34
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Water
Arctic
J'
Ocean
'
Northwest
Pacific
_
Ocean,
S ;
May-July
1953
meters
0
39,379
5,229
57,239
86,788
140,673
10
7,934
8,596
41,580
94,893
35,042
25
8,935
34,554
116,597
13,007
50
2,645
12,084
16,828
82,686
7,267
75
2,636
8,735
14,261
29,776
8,346
100
6,177
4,367
12,141
21,482
1,742
150
4,428
1,418
15,216
11,797
2,184
200
1,879
679
6,318
8,515
7,157
250
1,966
305
2,463
10,699
1,651
300
722
218
2,931
2,294
1,086
400
574
305
507
410
500
757
209
2,080
240
1,183
600
99
1,605
234
780
750
228
174
2,405
18,421
143
637
1000
853
818
1,735
6,981
117
306
1,651
1500
235
635
1,514
14,690
507
468
2000
252
479
962
435
201
176
943
2500
96
87
1,150
299
91
111
813
3000
52
44
760
331
46
59
494
3400
35
3500
44
4000
572
206
39
494
.
i
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Table 2
Microbial cells per ml of water found at different depths in the Arctic
Ocean near the North Pole and in the northwestern part of the Pacific
Kriss (1955) P. 35
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Water
4tEth
Ir.ter8
N3rhwee
' 2
Table 2 (2outinued)
Paifi. 0.:ean May
t Sat4 1 S.:a's 17
July 1953
Sta.! 2
Sta 6
0
96?200
233 669
406,146
165?347
165,321
95,413
10
87,308
149,708
375,915
171,802
216,599
380,263
25
176,300
50
60,294
75
55,718
100
25,649
150
4,283
200
2,821
250
1,417
300
1,671
400
1,339
500
1,274
600
709
750
624
1000
1,684
1,333
728
266
767
1500
3,075
169
559
182
702
2000
1,268
182
423
104
397
2500
1,205
111
156
208
195
3000
429
65
266
247
163
4000
176
46
156
117
39
5000
39
6000
91
7000
98
8000
65
9000
33
Kris (1955) p. 35
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of microorganisms is determined in the thousands in 1 ml of water.
Ten thousand were disclosed in the same surface of the ocean, in
water layers near the ice, but only in July, as in September the
concentration of microbial cells diminished.
A noticable increase in the contents of the total number of
microorganisms was observed at depths 100-150 in July and at 50-100 m
in September. Nevertheless they are significantly less than at 820
north latitude, according to data of V. S. Butkevich. The
concentration of microbial cells sharply increased at depth of /000 m.
Here the number of microorganisms both in July and in September
increased several times in comparison with upper and lower lying layers.
Apparently, there are hydrological reasons for the vertical
stratification of the microbial population in the ocean in the region
of the North Pole. In connection with this it is reiterated that
a study of the distribution of the number of microorganisms in the
Arctic Ocean according to the vertical and horizontal must yield
valuable material for the hydrology of the polar basin.
In the layer of water from 200-300 to 2000 m the general number
of microorganisms is calculated in hundreds per ml of water. Deeper
they are counted in tens per ml.
The comparison of the density of microbial population in the
Arctic Ocean in the region of the North Pole and in corresponding
depth at a position in the Pacific Ocean, in the north west part of it,
at a distance of 180-200 miles from the Kurile Islands and Kamchatka,
seems very interesting. In the surface layer of water of the Pacific
Ocean (at almost every station) the quantity of microorganisms is
several times, and in several cases 10 times, greater than in the upper
layer of the Arctic Ocean in the central Arctic. With depth the
differences continue to exist, but become less sharp. It is
characteristic in the Kurile-Kamchatka depression of the contents of
microbial cells in depths exceeding 5000 m as compared to a given depth
in the Arctic Ocean in the region of the North Pole, as an example of
such. The density of the microbial population in a given case may be
employed as indicator of the general productivity of the ocean. The
life in the waters of the polar basin near the North Pole is
comparatively less rich than in the waters examined in the locality of
the Pacific Ocean.
The problem is a subject for further microbiological study to
obtain comparative data on the number of microorganisms in different
regions of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent areas of the Pacific and
Atlantic Oceans for characteristic productivity of waters of the polar
basin.
Kriss (1955) p. 36
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lo the region of be North P.o the biomass of miorobial3cells in
upper layer )f'. the ..;ipan In terms of milligrams in 1 m of water,
but a2.:ording to the depth of the depression rather quickly decreases to
ten. after *ibis to a hundredth of a milligram and in the greatest depths
amounts to a thousandth of a milligram per 1 1713 of water (Table 3).1
A schematic dispersion In layers of the microbial biomass in this
region is characterized in the reduced drawing below. In a 1 m2 column
of water from the surface of the ocean reaching to the bottom the total
biomass of microorganisms amainted to 417 mg in July and 437 mg in
September.
These observations pertain to the vertical distribution of bacilli
and cocci forms of bacteria of conventional shape (in the picture
characterized with diagonal lines). But side by side with them in the
ma:, of the ocean from the surface to the bottom occurs unique
cocci form with thickened capsule. In the deep water area of the
Okhotsk Sea and the part of the Pacific Ocean adjoining it, where these
forms were discovered previously (A. E. Kriss and E. A. Rukina), they,
in contrast to the conventional shape of bacteria, either were not
observed at all in the surface layer, or were observed in small
quantities. The greater concentrations of them were found in the deep
layers of water; in considerable quantity they were also in deep water
slime deposits. In the vicinity of the North Pole cocci forms with
thickened capsule are relatively uniformly distributed through the
vertical profile of the ocean (in the drawing shown by dots), while on
the Pacific side of the submerged crest of Lomonosov the concentration
of them is greater than on the Atlantic side. The average size of these
forms is half (0.1 ?3) the average size of marine bacterial forms
generally seen. However, owing to a relatively large concentration, the
biomass of them through all profiles of the ocean in the vicinity of the
North Pole on the Pacific side of the ridge of Lomonosov amounted to 10
milligrams in 1 niP of water (on the Atlantic side the order of a
hundredth of a milligram in the same volume of water).
'Biomass was estimated as follows By the met4od of multiplying
the number of microorganisms in 1 ml of water by 1049 the number in 1 mP
at a given depth was determined. After this, for quantitative
characteristic of a given stratum, the numbers of microorganisms in 1 mP
at the levels restricting the stratum were added up and multiplied by
half of its width. The resulting value expressed the mean number of
microbic cells in a given stratum?the mean number in 1 mP of the
stratum. Multiplying the mean number of microorganisms in 1 0 of the
layer by the estimated mean volume of marine bacillus and cocci forms of
bacteria at 0.2 ?3 (the specific gravity of microbial cells was taken as
unity), we get the quantity expressed in terms of biomass of micro-
organisms in 1 110 of th13 stratum.
Kriss (1955) p. 36-37
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0
500-
150C,
2500=
3200
3Y-r
c*
150 - 2509,P.
500 CI4o.r.
Ion/
1 ' I
2nrin
-1?4'0C
#3 4'
600-750
J,44.3,!:=14
cx
fI
'
''.77111 1500
2GC,_
JO"
3400
104
100 g(%)09
O 10 20 30 109/M3
ORDINARY 2,,S,C, TER I 'A NO (IF MICROORGANISM5
C:AP511LATED COCCI
13 JIJ Y 1954
880(24'3 N
151015' /4
BI0Yr450
ORDINARY BACTERIA
? 06 mg/m3
? 0 3 Mg/ M 3
CAP3ULATED COCCI
10-25
15G
5C,
11 I 515.4Vicr
r -
,
OCP
9 SEPT 1954
89?2:95 N
05?43' 0/
u
Kriss (1955) p. 39
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? 011,,,
?
Water
Ordinary
J 1
bacteria
St 1
Capsulated
J 1
cocci
S
Misters
0-10
4.74
1.38
0.12
0.12
10-25
1.7
0.06
25-50
2.1
0.05
10-50
1.06
0.12
50-75
0.52
2.08
0.14
0.03
75-100
0.8
1.3
0.17
0.03
100-200
0.6
0.2
0.1
0.1
200-250
0.38
0.1
0.09
0.08
250-300
0.2
0.05
0.12
0.06
300-400
0.13
0.05
0.08
0.06
400-500
0.134
0.05
0.04
0.06
500-600
0.086
0.11
500-750
0.03
0.6
600-750
0.03
0.16
750-1000
0.1
0.09
0.13
0.05
1000-1500
0.1
0.14
0.13
0.03
1500-2000
0.04
0.1
0.11
0.05
2000-2500
0.03
0.05
0.1
0.06
2500-3000
0.014
0.01
0.2
0.02
3000-3400
0.007
0.13
3400-3700
0.005
0.04
. -
0 008
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Table 3
Average biomass of ordinary bacteria and capsulated cocci found in
different strata of the Arctic Ocean water near the North Pole (mg
Krieg (1955) P. 37
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As shown, the direct microscopic examination of water samples
from different depths of the ocean in the region of the North Pole,
the greatest variety of microbial forms in morphological regard are
distinguished in the upper layer of water (see drawing). Here are
found spherical and oval cells, small and large, appearing singly or
in small accumulations. Side by side with cocci are observed bacilli
of a variety of lengths, thin and thick, straight and curved, with
homogeneous plasma and with granular contents, with vacuoles, and also
non-branching filamentous form, and yeast cells often budding. As a
rule, rod-shaped bacteria predominated.
It follows to note, that in July the qualitative composition of
the microbial population in the surface layer was richer than in
September. Thus the Arctic summer influences not only the quantity
but also the morphological variety of microorganisms in the upper
levels.
With depth the morphology of the microbial cells becomes yet more
uniform (the chief form rod-shaped cells), that indicates relative
poverty of microbial species dwelling in greater depths. It is
interesting that budding yeast cells, i.e. multiplying, appear at
different depths (to the same number beyond 3000 m).
A peculiarity of the composition of the microbial population of
the ocean in the vicinity of the North Pole in comparison with explored
regions of the north-western part of the Pacific Ocean is the presence
of large vacuoled cells at all depths, from the surface to the bottom,
on both sides of the ridge of Lomonosov. Often these cells occur in
heaps or in short chains. Judging from the relative number being
observed in the stage of division, they are propagating in the depths
of the ocean.
Accumulations of microbial cells of a design of microcolonies were
found chiefly in the upper layers of the ocean. In the majority of
cases less than 10 cells entered in their formation, but they were
observed in colonies composed of 10, 20, and more cells.
As indicated above, in the course of microbiological work on
drifting station !North Pole-3" in July and September 1954, not only
the water masa of the ocean was studied, but also the bottom. The
topmost layer of mud from depth 0-2 cm, was extracted with every
essential precaution and put in sterile test tubes. On the drifting
station there were now prepared a series of dilutions of weighed mud
in sterile water, increasing by multiples of 10. From 0.1-0.5 ml of
every dilution was plated on meat-peptone agar prepared from Pacific
Ocean water, and up to 1 ml in meat-peptone broth, Giltner medium for
denitrifying microorganisms, Winogradsky medium and medium with
magnesium ammonium phosphate salt for nitrifiers, Tauson medium for
Kriss (1955) P. 37-39
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desulfurizing organisms, and Nanson and Beijerinck medium for
denitrifying sulfur microorganisms.2 Also prepared from weighed mud
were suspensions 1:10, 1:100, and 1:200 in 0.0004 N NaOH, which were
distributed for direct microscopy by the method of Winogradsky in 6 cm2
on the surface of slides, and accordingly processed for microbial
content.
2Differential media as follows
Giltner Medium:
were employed:
Dist. water
1000 ml
CaCl2
0.2 gm
KNO3
2 gm
FaC13
trace
K2HPO4
2 gm
NaC1
2.0 gm
moo4
2 gm
Asparagin
1.0 gm
Potassium citrate
5
Winograd sky Medium:
Dist. water
1000 ml
MgSO4
0.5 gm
(NH) 2SO4
2 gm
NaCl
2.0 gm
K2HPO4
1 gm
FeSO4
0.4 gm
Magnesium ammonium phosphate Medium:
Pacific Ocean water
100 ml
Mg(NH4)2PO4
10 gm
Tauson Medium:
Tap water
1000 ml
CaS0
0.5 gm
(NH4)2SO4
4.0 gm
NaCl4
30.0 gm
K2HPO4
0.5 gm
Ca lactate
5.0 gm
mgso4
1.0 gm
MgCO3
trace
Beijerinck Medium:
Dist. water 1000 ml
Sulfur 10.0 gm
KNO3 0.5 gm
K2HPO4 0.2 gm
Na2CO3 0.2 gm
Chalk 20.0 gm
A. E. Kriss (1955) p. 39
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In meat-peptone agar several colonies grew equivalent per gram of
mud to 100 heterotrophic microorganisms able to propagate in laboratory
medium of albuminous composition. Colonies of sporeforming and non-
sporeforming rods, cocci and yeast developed. In meat-peptone broth the
increase was observed only in the first dilution of the suspension of
mud--1:20 for July samples and 1:70 for September. An analogous picture
in Giltner medium, but reduction of nitrate was not noted. Marked
denitrification with the formation of nitrite occurred in Beijerinck
medium dilutions of mud 1:200 in July samples and 1:70 in September.
Nitrite and nitrate appeared in the magnesium ammonium phosphate
and in Winogradsky media in the first dilution of mud. From the same
dilution came the evolution of sulfates in Nanson and Beijerinck medium.
No reduction of sulfate was noted in Tauson medium. It is necessary to
indicate that inspection after inoculating muds into media for all of
these physiological groups of microorganisms was conducted in the
course of 3-5 months.
For direct microscopic examination of the mud are counted
(calculated per 1 g weighed mud) from 4 to 304 million microbial cells of
conventional appearance and 170-400 cocci forms wtttrthickened comae.
In the main the microflora consists of rod-shaped bacteria, minute and
large, straight or slightly curved. Coarse vacuoled appearing cells
occurred in different depths of the water mass of the ocean. Side by
side with rod-shaped forma are found yeast-like cells and among them
budding yeast.
Thanks to the microbiological studies in the Arctic Ocean in the
region of the North Pole populations of microorganisms were shown under
long-lived pack ice in all masses of water of the ocean to depths of
several thousand meters, and also in the bottom. Taking into account
the high biochemical activity of microbial cells and the rapid rate of
their reproduction, it is possible to affirm that in the region of the
North Pole in all water masses of the ocean occur microbiological
processes for the mineralization of organic matter and the transforms
tion of biological compounds which make conditions possible for the
existence of another link of life--plant and animal--in the high
latitude of the central Arctic.
Besides the role of microorganisms in the biological productivity
of high latitude regions of the Arctic Ocean, microorganisms appear
also to be of possible importance as hydrologic indicators. Every case
during the detailed study of the vertical stratification of the density
of microbial population of the ocean in the region of the North Pole
clearly shows layers of water of different origin.
Kriss (1955) p. 40
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Necessary and completely feasible is extensive microbiological
examination of all the Arctic Ocean. The data of such examination
appear an essential investment in oceanographic study of the polar
basin--of its biology, hydrochemistry, and hydrology.
Kriss (1955) p. 40
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