scholarly journals Viruses—Agents of Change in the Oceans

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarit Avrani ◽  
Daniel Sher

Viruses are usually thought of as the cause of countless diseases. However, in the oceans, viruses are part of the natural cycle of life and death. This article discusses marine viruses that infect phytoplankton—the tiny micro-algae that form the base of the marine food web and affect Earth’s climate. Through an ongoing “arms race” between viruses and the cells they infect, viruses can promote the evolution of their hosts, and even help their hosts acquire genes that can help them survive. By killing phytoplankton species that become very abundant, viruses can allow other species to grow, promoting biodiversity. Finally, viruses affect global cycles of carbon and other elements, indirectly influencing the climate of our planet.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristy A. Lewis ◽  
Robert R. Christian ◽  
Charles W. Martin ◽  
Kira L. Allen ◽  
Ashley M. McDonald ◽  
...  

Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 331 (6013) ◽  
pp. 70-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Kruta ◽  
N. Landman ◽  
I. Rouget ◽  
F. Cecca ◽  
P. Tafforeau
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. e0184512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lohengrin Dias de Almeida Fernandes ◽  
Eduardo Barros Fagundes Netto ◽  
Ricardo Coutinho ◽  

2021 ◽  
Vol 772 ◽  
pp. 145064
Author(s):  
Yongfei Gao ◽  
Ruyue Wang ◽  
Yanyu Li ◽  
Xuebin Ding ◽  
Yueming Jiang ◽  
...  

Polar Record ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila Kienteca Lange ◽  
Ryszard Ligowski ◽  
Denise Rivera Tenenbaum

ABSTRACTConsidering that phytoplankton assemblages are good bioindicators of environmental conditions, the sensitivity of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) to climate change, and the importance of some areas of its islands as Antarctic Specially Managed Areas, this work assembles published datasets on phytoplankton biodiversity and ecology in confined coastal areas (embayments) of King George Island, WAP. Over 33 years (1980–2013), 415 species from 122 genera have been identified to species level, being mostly diatoms (371 species), with 10 new species described with local material (6 diatoms, 4 cyanobacteria). The importance of diatoms was indicated by the frequent occurrence of Corethron pennatum, Pseudogomphonema kamtshaticum, and abundant benthic genera in the plankton (e.g. Navicula, Cocconeis). The increased contribution of dinoflagellates after 2010 suggests marked changes in the water column. Early-summer blooms differ between the bays' eastern and western shores, with terrestrial melting and wind-driven upwelling inducing the dominance of benthic species at eastern shores, whereas planktonic diatoms (Thalassiosira, Pseudo-nizschia, and Chaetoceros) are most abundant along western shores and central areas. The importance of an accurate identification of organisms that are becoming key ecological components of the region is discussed, as recent changes in the microflora may affect the entire marine food web.


Science ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 257 (5067) ◽  
pp. 259-259
Author(s):  
Coleen L. Moloney

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey A. McCormack ◽  
Rowan Trebilco ◽  
Jessica Melbourne-Thomas ◽  
Julia L. Blanchard ◽  
Elizabeth A. Fulton ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document