Viral and microbial loop dynamics in the water column and sea-ice of Prydz Bay

Project aim

Viruses are tiny particles that cannot reproduce by themselves. To reproduce they have to parasitise a bacterial cell, or another organism. In the sea viruses infect bacteria and phytoplankton cells and can cause those cells to die and break open, thereby liberating more virus particles into the environment to re-infect more host cells. They effectively short-circuit the carbon cycle - recycling carbon to the pool of dissolved and particulate organic carbon before it can be eaten by organisms higher in the food chain. Our research will eludicdate the role of viruses in the water column and sea-ice over a year.