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In coral reefs, dissolved organic matter (DOM) cycling is a critical process for sustaining ecosystem functioning. However, global and local stressors have caused persistent shifts from coral- to algae-dominated benthic communities. The influence of such phase shifts on DOM nature and its utilization by heterotrophic bacterioplankton remains poorly studied. Every second month for one year, we retrieved seawater samples enriched in DOM produced by coral- and algae-dominated benthic communities in a central Red Sea reef during a full annual cycle. Seawater incubations were conducted in the laboratory under in situ temperature and light conditions by inoculating enriched DOM samples with bacterial assemblages collected in the surrounding waters. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were higher in the warmer months (May–September) in both communities, resulting in higher specific growth …