Studies of Freshwater Bacteria

Abstract

Bacteria are apparently more abundant in bottom mud and on submerged surfaces of rocks and plants than free in the water. Microscope slides submerged in aquatic habitats develop a coating of sessile bacteria which may be readily stained and examined. The number of bacteria growing on a unit area of the slide in a unit period of time may serve aa a measure of microbic activity in a given habitat. The morphology of water bacteria is sufficiently varied to permit a tentative classification on this basis alone.