KOMPOSISI AGREGAT :

The resulting aggregates are compositions of a vast variety of components, such as living,
senescent=(OLD) and dead macro algae, diatoms, coccolithophorids, dinoflagellates, nano- and
picoplankton, cysts of thecate dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria, phytoplankton detritus, diatom
frustules, bacteria and archaea, zooplankton molts and carcasses, abandoned larvacaean
houses, pteropod feeding webs, fecal pellets, TEP structures and colloids, clay and silt minerals,
calcite, and other particles abundant in the water column.
Group of aggregate :
i) fecal pellets excreted from zooplankton
ii) transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) formed from excreted (exopolymeric
substances) EPS. EPS are excreted from a vast variety of eukaryotic cells, such as diatoms
or Phaeocystis, which leads to TEP production (e.g. Chin et al. 2004; Tsuyoshi Fukao
2012).
ii) detritus aggregates, that include all forms of planktonic detritus and will be referred to as
marine snow aggregates.
FAKTOR KOLONISASI AGREGAT
The heterotrophic bacteria, members of the Cyanobacteria were found in marine snow
aggregates in abundance. The higher nutrient (especially nitrate and ammonia) concentrations
within aggregates may attract the phototrophic bacteria (Willey and Waterbury 1989; Vanucci
et al. 2001) which are then trapped by the aggregate and transported into the deeper layers.
Step of colonization aggregates :
1. In an initial phase, bacteria will attach loosely to the aggregate from where they still can
detach again.
2. After short time the bacteria attachment gradually increases until cells are permanently
attached and growth rates dominate over attachment.
3. Subsequently the total cell numbers on the aggregate increase and the bacterial
community becomes established.
During the colonization process, bacteria were found to excrete antagonistic molecules to
inhibit the colonization by other bacteria. Alteromonas, Vibrionales, and Actinobacteria
produced large amounts of inhibiting molecules, while Bacteroidetes showed the strongest
response and the least production (Long and Azam 2001; Grossart et al. 2004). This leads to the
hypothesis of two colonization strategies: Alteromonas, Vibrionales, and Actinobacteria may
initially attach to the aggregate and prevents further colonization of bacteria from other
groups by antagonist excretion, before increasing growth rates lead to the formation of a
stable biofilm. Bacteroidetes on the contrary will outcompete other attaching bacteria by
high growth rates and fast colonization.

In marine systems, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes are the dominating clades on

aggregates.
Bacteroidetes are also capable for the degradation of various DOC and POC compounds. Recent
studies found genes for hydrolytic enzymes, polysaccharide, N-acetylglucosamine and protein
consumption, chitin and peptidoglycan degradation and cell attachment, indicating the
utilization DOC and POC in Bacteroidetes. Alphaproteobacteria are not known to be major DOC
or POC degraders, beside members of the Roseobacter clade which may live attached to
phytoplankton cells and are capable of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) utilization (Kiene et
al. 2000 and references therein). Consequently, Alphaproteobacteria from the Roseobacter
clade were also found on aggregates (Zubkov et al. 2001; Gram et al. 2002; Rooney-Varga et al.
2005). Planctomycetes were attached to aggregates, though only in low abundance