Ref ID : 3771
Priscilla Brown Elliott and Stuart S. Bamforth; Interstitial Protozoa and Algae of Louisiana Salt Marshes. J.Protozool. 22(4):514-519, 1975
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The majority of Louisiana salt marshes consists of stagnant pools among a vegetation of Spartina spp. and Distichlis spicata. The sediments constitute a "sulphide biome", with Eh values reaching to -350 mV. The 200 interstitial ciliate species had definite stratification. Generally, algivores and omnivores occurred in the upper, and bactivores in the lower layers of the sediments. Compaction of particles prevented the flexible and large ciliates from inhabiting the lower layers, while Eh below -200 mV limited the distribution of some species but favored certain bactivores. The pH/Eh range and the abundance of nutrients in the sulfide biome provide habitable conditions of all the major groups of microflora. These, in turn, support nutritionally diverse predatory ciliate populations.