Isolation of viruses responsible for the demise of an Emiliania huxleyi bloom in the English Channel

William H. Wilson*, Glen A. Tarran, Declan Schroeder, Michael Cox, Joanne Oke, Gillian Malin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

<jats:p>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 <jats:italic>Emiliania huxleyi</jats:italic> 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; <jats:italic>E. huxleyi</jats:italic> 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 <jats:italic>E. huxleyi</jats:italic> 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, <jats:italic>Eh</jats:italic>V84 and <jats:italic>Eh</jats:italic>V86, from the high reflectance area that lysed cultures of <jats:italic>E. huxleyi</jats:italic> 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 <jats:italic>E. huxleyi</jats:italic> 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 <jats:italic>E. huxleyi</jats:italic>-dominated population to a more characteristic mixed summer phytoplankton community.</jats:p>
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)369-377
Number of pages0
JournalJournal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
Volume82
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2002

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