September 2002 surface water bacterial abundance at ten Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER sampling sites

Surface water samples were collected during low tide surveys near ten Georgia Coastal Ecosystem LTER sampling sites in September, 2002. Unfiltered subsamples were immediately preserved with buffered formalin and refrigerated for transport to the laboratory. The abundance of bacteria in each sample was determined using an epifluorescence microscope by counting DAPI-stained cells retained on a 0.2µm polycarbonate filter. This study was part of the GCE-LTER hydrographic monitoring program, and will be repeated quarterly.