ABSTRACT
Oxygen exchange at the water-bottom interface in the northeastern Black Sea was studied using bottom tanks (fluxes and oxygen consumption for organic matter mineralization and for respiration of soil and water organisms). The relationship of biogenic fluxes and patterns of biochemical (enzyme) destruction of organic matter by the components of the bacterial and microproducer community was established. The prevalence of microbial oxidation of organic matter correlated with high proteolytic activity in near-bottom water. The principal significance of organic matter oxidation in near-bottom water for the phytoplankton and its respiratory expenditures was demonstrated both in the open system of the near-bottom layer and in the closed tank system. A similar trend was demonstrated for benthic organisms.
