Outline: Microbial Ecologies: The Role of Viruses in the Marine Environment

This discussion topic submitted by Doug Escribano ( douglas.escribano@gs.com) at 10:33 pm on 3/28/01. Additions were last made on Saturday, May 4, 2002.

Microbial oceanographic research in the 1970's and '80's found that marine viruses measured approximately 10 billion per liter. This data raised the question of whether something so abundant in seawater had a more fundamental role in marine ecologies than previously thought. Current research indicates that these particles appear to be part of the normal fauna of oceans and play an essential role in the environment. Marine viruses are part of a microbial loop and interact with the primary producers in the food chain. The focus of this presentation will be the role of marine viruses in the microbial loop and its interaction with phytoplankton including cyanobacteria and algae. These viruses impact nutrient cycling, carbon recycling and other ecological processes.

Outline:
I. Introduction
A. Research indicts that viruses are more abundant then originally known.
II. Viruses
A. Biology of viruses
1. DNA
2. RNA
B. Pathways
1. lytic
2. lysogenic
III. Microbial loop
A. organisms in the ocean (the water column)
B. plankton
1. phytoplankton
2. zooplankton
IV. Biological processes (nutrient cycling)
A. carbon cycling
B. nitrogen cycling
V. Viruses in the marine environment
VI. Conclusion

Bibliography:
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