Abstract
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased since the pre-industrial period and is predicted to continue to increase throughout the twenty-first century. The ocean is a sink for atmospheric CO2 and increased CO2 concentration will change the carbonate equilibrium of seawater and result in lower carbonate ion concentration and lower pH. This may affect the entire marine biota but in particular calcifying organisms. In this study we investigated the effect of increased CO2 on the virus host interaction of Emiliania huxleyi as a calcifying organism and of Phaeocystis poucheti as a non- calcifying organism. Both algae were grown in laboratory controlled conditions under past (280 ppmv), present (350 ppmv) and future (700 ppmv) CO2 concentrations with and without added virus. Increased CO2 had a negative effect on the growth rate of P. pouchetii, but not of E. huxleyi. No impact was found on viral lysis of P. pouchetii while increased burst size and slightly delayed lysis was observed for E. huxleyi with increased CO2. We conclude that this short time study could not confirm earlier reports and our hypothesis of a negative effect of high CO2 on E. huxleyi growth and E. huxleyi virus production.
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Bergh Ø, Børsheim KY, Bratbak G, Heldal M (1989) High abundance of viruses found in aquatic environments. Nature 340:467–468
Bratbak G, Egge JK, Heldal M (1993) Viral mortality of the marine alga Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyceae) and termination of algal blooms. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 93:39–48
Brussaard CPD (2004) Optimization of procedures for counting viruses by flow cytometry. Appl Environ Microbiol 70(3):1506–1513
Brussaard CPD, Thyrhaug R, Marie D, Bratbak G (1999) Flow cytometric analyses of viral infection in two marine phytoplankton species, Micromonas pusilla (Prasinophyceae) and Phaeocystis pouchetii (Primnesiophyceae). J Phycol 35:941–948
Brussaard CPD, Short SM, Frederickson CM, Suttle CA (2004) Isolation and phylogenetic analysis of novel viruses infecting the phytoplankton Phaeocystis globosa (Prymnesiophyceae). Appl Environ Microbiol 70(6):3700–3705
Caldeira K, Wickett ME (2003) Anthropogenic carbon and ocean pH. Nature 425:365
Charlson RJ, Lovelock JE, Andreae MO, Warren SG (1987) Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulphur, cloud albedo and climate. Nature 326:361–655
Delille B, Harlay J, Zondervan I, Jacquet S, Chou L, Wollast R, Bellerby RGJ, Frankignoulle M, Borges AV, Riebesell U, Gattuso J-P (2005) Response of primary production and calcification to changes of pCO2 during experimental blooms of the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 19: GB2023
Engel A, Zondervan I, Aerts K, Beaufort L, Chou L, Delille B, Gattuso J-P, Harlay J, Heemann C, Hoffmann L, Jacquet S, Nejstgaard J, Pizay M-D, Rochelle-Newall E, Schneider U, Terbrueggen A, Riebesell U (2005) Testing the direct effect of CO2 concentration on a bloom of the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi in mesocosm experiments. Limnol Oceanogr 50(2):493–507
Fernández E, Boyd P, Holligan PM, Harbour DS (1993) Production of organic and inorganic carbon within a large-scale coccolithophore bloom in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 97:271–285
Frada M, Probert I, Allen MJ, Wilson WH, Cd Vargas (2008) The “Cheshire Cat” escape strategy of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi in response to viral infection. PNAS USA 105(41):15944–15949
Guinotte JM, Farby VJ (2008) Ocean acidification and its potential effects on marine ecosystems. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1134:320–342
Honjo S (1976) Coccoliths: production, transportation and sedimentation. Mar Micropaleontol 1:65–79
Hurd CL, Hepburn CD, Currie KI, Raven JA, Hunter KA (2009) Testing the effect of ocean acidification on algal metabolism: considerations for experimental designs. J Phycol 45:1236–1251
Iglesias-Rodriguez MD, Halloran PR, Rickaby REM, Hall IR, Colmenero-Hidalgo E, Gittins JR, Green DRH, Tyrrell T, Gibbs SJ, Dassow Pv, Rehm E, Armbrust EV, Boessenkool KP (2008) Phytoplankton calcification in a high-CO2 world. Science 320:336–340
I.P.C.C. (2007) Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 996
Lancelot C, Mathot S (1987) Dynamics of a Phaeocystis-dominated spring bloom in Belgian coastal waters. I. Phytoplankton activities and related parameters. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 37:239–248
Larsen A, Flaten GAF, Sandaa R-A, Castberg T, Thyrhaug R, Erga SR, Jacquet S, Bratbak G (2004) Spring phytoplankton bloom dynamics in Norwegian coastal waters: Microbial community succession and diversity. Limnol Oceanogr 49(1):180–190
Larsen JB, Larsen A, Thyrhaug R, Bratback G, Sandaa R-A (2008) Response of marine viral populations to a nutrient induced phytoplankton bloom at different pCO2 levels. Biogeosciences 5:523–533
Orr JC, Fabry VJ, Aumont O, Bopp L, Doney SC, Feely RA, Gnanadesikan A, Gruber N, Ishida A, Joos F, Key RM, Lindsay K, Maier-Reimer E, Matear R, Monfray P, Mouchet A, Najjar RG, Plattner G-K, Rodgers KB, Sabine CL, Sarmiento JL, Schlitzer R, Slater RD, Totterdell IJ, Weirig M-F, Yamanaka Y, Yool A (2005) Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and tis impact on calcifying organisms. Nature 437:681–686
Paulino AI, Egge JK, Larsen A (2008) Effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on small and intermediate sized osmotrophs during a nutrient induced phytoplankton bloom. Biogeosciences 5:739–748
Riebesell U, Zonrvan I, Rost B, Tortell OD, Zeebe RE, Morel FMM (2000) Reduced calcification of marine plankton in response to increased atmospheric CO2. Nature 407:364–367
Riebesell U, Schulz KG, Bellerby RG, Botros M, Fritsche P, Meyehöfer M, Neill C, Nondal G, Oschlies A, Wohlers J, Zöllner E (2007) Enhanced biological carbon consumption in a high CO2 ocean. Nature 450:545–549
Schoemann V, Becquevort S, Stefels J, Rousseau V, Lancelot C (2005) Phaeocystis blooms in the global ocean and their controlling mechanisms: a review. J Sea Res 53:43–66
Westbroek P, Young JR, Linchooten KJ (1989) Coccolith production (biomineralization) in the marine algae Emiliania huxleyi. J Protozool 36:368–373
Wilhelm SW, Suttle CA (1999) Viruses and nutrient cycles in the sea. Bioscience 49(10):781–788
Zondervan I, Zeebe RE, Rost B, Riebesell U (2001) Decreasing marine biogenic calcification: a negative feedback on rising atmospheric pCO2. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 15(2):507–516
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Craig Neil for all the technical help and Egil S. Erichsen, Laboratory for Electron microscopy, University in Bergen, for help using TEM. CC was supported by “The Research Council of Norway”, and the project was supported by the 7th Framework Programme Theme (EPOCA—European Project on Ocean Acidification; FP7-211384).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Carreira, C., Heldal, M. & Bratbak, G. Effect of increased pCO2 on phytoplankton–virus interactions. Biogeochemistry 114, 391–397 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9692-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9692-x