Occurrence of the planktonic bloom-forming marine diatom Chaetoceros tenuissimus Meunier and its infectious viruses in western Japan
The genus Chaetoceros is among the most species-rich marine planktonic diatoms. Most Chaetoceros are considered important primary producers in various marine environments, but because of their small size, we know little about their ecology and distribution. Therefore, from 2008 to 2012, we examined...
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Published in | Hydrobiologia Vol. 805; no. 1; pp. 221 - 230 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Cham
Springer International Publishing
01.01.2018
Springer Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The genus
Chaetoceros
is among the most species-rich marine planktonic diatoms. Most
Chaetoceros
are considered important primary producers in various marine environments, but because of their small size, we know little about their ecology and distribution. Therefore, from 2008 to 2012, we examined the occurrence of
C. tenuissimus
Meunier, one of the smallest members in the genus, and its infectious viruses in western Japanese coastal waters. Using real-time quantitative PCR, we found that
C. tenuissimus
was widely detected throughout our study sites, with a maximum concentration of 2.4 × 10
7
cells/l in May 2012. Sediment analysis revealed that
C. tenuissimus
resting-stage cells were present at potentially high levels, despite its infectious viruses being detected in the same region. The present study suggests that
C. tenuissimus
remains highly productive even when surrounded by its infectious viruses. This tolerance to viral infection, along with the diatom’s fast growth rate, suggests that
C. tenuissimus
might play an important role in maintaining the growth of important filter feeders. |
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ISSN: | 0018-8158 1573-5117 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10750-017-3306-0 |