The importance of bacterial, phytoplankton and dissolved alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in the northern Adriatic was investigated during 2006. In surface waters total APA increased from early spring (0.07–0.08μmoll −1 h −1 ) to late spring (up to 4.64μmoll −1 h −1 ) and remained relatively high during the summer (0.46–0.71μmoll −1 h −1 ), due to an increase in specific phytoplankton (up to 30nmolμgC −1 h −1 ) and bacterial APA (up to 17.11nmolμgC −1 h −1 ). Activity of free enzymes was not important. During late spring and summer both communities exploited dissolved organic phosphorus although, taking into account biomass, phytoplankton activity usually dominated over bacterial activity. In autumn an extra P supply from deeper waters drastically reduced phytoplankton APA, though not bacterial APA, in upper waters. Probably in these months bacteria that were degrading phytoplankton produced organic matter were P limited. In deeper waters APA was low and mainly due to the activity of free enzymes.