Fate of fresh water bacteria in the sea

Fresh water bacteria ' are continually carried into the sea by streams, leachings from the shore, dust and migrating animals. Salt water bacteria are also carried into fresh water. The inter-change of bacteria between fresh water and the sea is so extensive and continuous that unless the environmental change is inhib-itory we may expect to find many species common to both environments. The fate of fresh water bacteria in the sea is of considerable importance. The classification of marine bacteria would be greatly simplified if it were established that fresh water bacteria do not maintain themselves in the sea. If we must consider that any bacteria taken from the sea may be identical with fresh water forms the identification becomes more difficult. The higher forms of animals and plants are mainly distinct. To what degree this is true of the simpler forms, particularly bac-teria, remains to be determined. The fate of the fresh water bacteria in the sea is of interest in connection with the general biology of that region. If the fresh water bacteria survive and carry on their activities as in fresh water we may apply much that we know of fresh water bacteriology to an analysis of changes occurring in the sea. The renewal of the food supply of the ocean as of the land depends, to a large extent, on bacterial decomposition. The fresh water and soil bacteria are responsible for the formation of the nitrates and other decomposition products favorable to plant life washed into the sea from the land. Do they also take part in the decom-1By the term fresh water bacteria is meant all bacteria carried into the sea from the land