Wilson, W. H. (William H.), Tarran, Glen A. , Schroeder, Declan, Cox, M. J., Oke, Joanne and Malin, Gillian (2002) Isolation of viruses responsible for the demise of an Emiliania huxleyi bloom in the English Channel. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, Vol.82 (No.3). pp. 369-377. doi:10.1017/S002531540200560X

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Abstract

This study used analytical flow cytometry (AFC) to monitor the abundance of phytoplankton, coccoliths, bacteria and viruses in a transect that crossed a high reflectance area in the western English Channel. The high reflectance area, observed by satellite, was caused by the demise of an Emiliania huxleyi bloom. Water samples were collected from depth profiles at four stations, one station outside and three stations inside the high reflectance area. Plots of transect data revealed very obvious differences between Station 1, outside, and Stations 2–4, inside the high reflectance area. Inside, concentrations of viruses were higher; E. huxleyi cells were lower; coccoliths were higher; bacteria were higher and virus:bacteria ratio was lower than at Station 1, outside the high reflectance area. This data can simply be interpreted as virus-induced lysis of E. huxleyi cells in the bloom causing large concentrations of coccoliths to detach, resulting in the high reflectance observed by satellite imagery. This interpretation was supported by the isolation of two viruses, EhV84 and EhV86, from the high reflectance area that lysed cultures of E. huxleyi host strain CCMP1516. Basic characterization revealed that they were lytic viruses approximately 170 nm–190 nm in diameter with an icosahedral symmetry. Taken together, transect and isolation data suggest that viruses were the major contributor to the demise of the E. huxleyi population in the high reflectance area. Close coupling between microalgae, bacteria and viruses contributed to a large organic carbon input. Consequent cycling influenced the succession of an E. huxleyi-dominated population to a more characteristic mixed summer phytoplankton community.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QR Microbiology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) > Biological Sciences ( -2010)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Coccolithus huxleyi -- English Channel, Coccolithus huxleyi -- Diseases and pests, Algal blooms -- Monitoring -- English Channel, Coccolithophores, Virus diseases of plants
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	0025-3154
Official Date:	June 2002
Dates:	Date Event June 2002 Published
Volume:	Vol.82
Number:	No.3
Page Range:	pp. 369-377
DOI:	10.1017/S002531540200560X
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Natural Environment Research Council (Great Britain) (NERC), Plymouth Marine Laboratory (Great Britain) (PML)
Grant number:	NER/T/S/2000/00640 (NERC)

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