Viral Contributions to Summer Bloom Dynamics in the Western Antarctic Peninsula

该项目将调查病毒对南极半岛西部浮游植物和浮游细菌死亡的贡献。病毒裂解对碳如何通过海洋食物网转移有着根本不同的影响，但病毒死亡率的重要性尚不清楚。主要研究人员将在南极洲帕尔默站附近春夏花期的不同阶段测量样本中的病毒死亡率。由于所有可用的方法都有其局限性，因此将采用一套方法。该项目还将研究海冰是否作为病毒的种子库，这些病毒会导致浮游植物在繁殖期死亡。野外工作将主要在帕尔默站附近进行，以便在水华过程中进行时间序列测量。更广泛的影响包括教师培训工作坊、暑期研究计划，以及与帕默LTER合作的外展活动。该项目还将为每年培养一名博士后、研究生和一名或多名本科生做出贡献。

This project will investigate the contributions of viruses to the mortality of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Viral lysis has fundamentally different consequences for how carbon is transferred through the marine food web, but the importance of viral mortality is unknown. The principal investigators will measure viral mortality on samples at different stages of the spring/summer bloom in the vicinity of Palmer Station, Antarctica. Since all of the available methods have their limitations, a suite of approaches will be employed. The project also will examine whether sea ice acts as a seed bank for viruses that contribute to phytoplankton mortality during the bloom. Fieldwork will be conducted primarily in the vicinity of Palmer Station to allow time series measurements during the course of the bloom. Broader impacts include teacher training workshops, summer research projects, and collaboration with Palmer LTER outreach activities. The project also will contribute to the training of a postdoctoral fellow, graduate students, and one or more undergraduate students each year.