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Effect of ice melting on bacterial carbon fluxes channelled by viruses and protists in the Arctic Ocean

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Abstract

During the last few years, extensive sea ice melting in the Arctic due to climate change has been detected, which could potentially modify the organic carbon fluxes in these waters. In this study, the effect of sea ice melting on bacterial carbon channelling by phages and protists has been evaluated in the northern Greenland Sea and Arctic Ocean. Grazing on bacteria by protists was evaluated using the FLB disappearance method. Lysis of bacteria due to viral infections was measured using the virus reduction approach. Losses of bacterial production caused by protists (PMMBP) dominated losses caused by viruses (VMMBP) throughout the study. Lysogenic viral production was detected in 7 out of 21 measurements and constituted from 33.9 to 100.0% of the total viral production. Significantly higher PMMBP and lower VMMBP were detected in waters affected by ice melting compared with unaffected waters. Consequently, significantly more bacterial carbon was channelled to the higher trophic levels in affected waters (13.05 ± 5.98 μgC l−1 day−1) than in unaffected waters (8.91 ± 8.33 μgC l−1 day−1). Viruses channelled 2.63 ± 2.45 μgC l−1 day−1 in affected waters and 4.27 ± 5.54 μgC l−1 day−1 in unaffected waters. We conclude that sea ice melting in the Arctic could modify the carbon flow through the microbial food web. This process may be especially important in the case of massive sea ice melting due to climate change.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the staff of UTM (CSIC) and the crew of the R/V—Hespérides for their help during the cruise. This study was supported by the following projects: ATOS, PROCAVIR and MICROVIS (POL2006-00550/CTM, CTM2004-04404-CO2-00/MAR, CTM2007-62140) funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and by the E.U. project Arctic Tipping Points (ATP, contract #226248) in the framework FP7. J. A. B.’s work was supported by a Ph.D. fellowship from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (FPU grant) and M. M. S. by I3P-CSIC postdoctoral contract funded by the Fondo Social Europeo. This is a contribution to the European Network of Excellence EurOceans.

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  1. Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Julia A. Boras, M. Montserrat Sala, Elisabet L. Sà, Jorge Felipe & Dolors Vaqué

  2. Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (CSIC, IUB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca, Spain

    Jesus M. Arrieta, Susana Agustí & Carlos M. Duarte

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  1. Julia A. Boras
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Boras, J.A., Sala, M.M., Arrieta, J.M. et al. Effect of ice melting on bacterial carbon fluxes channelled by viruses and protists in the Arctic Ocean. Polar Biol 33, 1695–1707 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0798-8

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