Viral lysis modifies seasonal phytoplankton dynamics and carbon flow in the Southern Ocean ...

• Main Authors: Biggs, Tristan, Brussaard, Corina, Huisman, Jef
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: NIOZ 2021
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25850/nioz/7b.b.hc; https://dataportal.nioz.nl/doi/10.25850/nioz/7b.b.hc

Phytoplankton form the base of marine food webs and are a primary means for carbon export in the Southern Ocean, a key area for global pCO2 drawdown. Viral lysis and grazing have very different effects on microbial community dynamics and carbon export, yet, very little is known about the relative magnitude and ecological impact of viral lysis on natural phytoplankton communities, especially in Antarctic waters. Here, we report on the temporal dynamics and relative importance of viral lysis rates, in comparison to grazing, for Antarctic nano- and pico-sized phytoplankton of varied taxonomy and size over a full productive season. Our results show that viral lysis was a major loss factor throughout the season, responsible for roughly half (58%) of seasonal phytoplankton carbon losses. Viral lysis appeared critically important for explaining temporal dynamics and for obtaining a complete seasonal mass balance of Antarctic phytoplankton. Group-specific responses indicated a negative correlation between grazing ...