Virioplankton in the Kara Sea: The impact of viruses on mortality of heterotrophic bacteria
Abstract
Studies were conducted in shallow and deepwater areas of the Kara Sea. The abundance of bacteria ( N B ) and the abundance of viruses ( N V ) ranged within (19.4-2215.1) × 103 cells/ml and (97.6-5796.8) × 103 particles/ml, respectively. The virus to bacteria ratio varied from 1.4 to 29.1. A positive correlation was found between N B and N V ( R = 0.87, n = 45, p = 0.05. Using electron transmission microscopy it was detected that the frequency of visibly infected cells of bacteria (FVIC) varied from 0.2 to 1.9% of N B . The maximum values of FVIC were recorded in the estuary of the Yenisei River. The infected cells of bacteria contained from 4 to 127 (an average of 12) phages/cell of mature viruses. Virus-mediated mortality of bacteria was 0.5% and varied from 1.4 to 16.1% of the total mortality of bacterioplankton. This indicates a minor role of viruses in the control of overabundance and production of bacterioplankton in the Kara Sea during the surveyed period.
- Publication:
-
Oceanology
- Pub Date:
- July 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1134/S0001437015040104
- Bibcode:
- 2015Ocgy...55..561K