Antarctic sea ice viral dynamics over an annual cycle

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Paterson, H, Laybourn-Parry, J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer-Verlag 2011
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Ecology; Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology); Antarctic; Prydz Bay; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Biology; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1093-z; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76935

Viral abundance, burst sizes, lytic production and temperate phage were investigated in land-fast ice at two sites in Prydz Bay Antarctica (68S, 77E) between April and November 2008. Both ice cores and brine were collected. There was no seasonal pattern in viral or bacterial numbers. Across the two sites virus abundances ranged between 0.5 x 10 5 and 5.1 x 10 5 viruses ml -1 in melted ice cores and 0.6 x 10 5 3.5 x 10 5 viruses ml -1 in brine, and bacterial abundances between 2.7 x 10 4 and 17.3 x 10 4 cells ml -1 in melted ice cores and 3.9 x 10 4 32.5 x 10 4 cells ml -1 in brine. Virus to bacterium ratios (VBR) showed a clear seasonal pattern in ice cores with lowest values in winter (range 1.220.8), while VBRs in brine were lower (0.24.9). Lytic viral production range fromundetectable to 2.0 x 10 4 viruses ml -1 h -1 in ice cores with maximum rates in September and November. In brine maximum,lytic viral production occurred in November (1.18 x 10 4 viruses ml -1 h -1 ). Low burst sizes were typical (3.944.03 viruses per bacterium in ice cores and 3.164.0 viruses per bacterium in brine) with unusually high levels of visibly infected cellsrange 40-50%. This long-terminvestigation revealed that viral activity was apparent within the sea ice throughout its annual cycle. The findings are discussed within the context of limited data available on viruses in sea ice.