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Viral influence on aquatic bacterial communities.

J A Fuhrman¹, M Schwalbach

¹University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0371, USA. fuhrman@usc.edu

The Biological Bulletin

|April 18, 2003

Summary

Bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses, are key to marine ecosystems. Experiments show these viruses can subtly alter marine bacterial community composition, a role with significant long-term impacts.

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Area of Science:

Marine microbiology
Viral ecology
Bacteriophage research

Background:

Bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) are recognized as significant drivers of bacterial mortality in marine environments.
The role of bacteriophages in regulating marine bacterial community composition is less understood, despite theoretical models like the 'kill the winner' hypothesis.
Species-specific and density-dependent infection dynamics are proposed mechanisms for viral control of microbial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally demonstrate the influence of bacteriophages on the composition of natural marine bacterial communities.
To provide observational evidence supporting theoretical models of viral-mediated community regulation.

Main Methods:

Field-based experiments were conducted on natural marine microbial communities.
The study focused on observing changes in bacterial community composition over experimental timeframes.

Main Results:

Experimental evidence confirmed that bacteriophages can influence bacterial community composition in situ.
The observed effects on community structure were subtle within short experimental durations (days).
The cumulative impact of such viral regulation is predicted to be substantial over longer periods (months to years).

Conclusions:

Bacteriophages play a demonstrable role in shaping marine bacterial community structure.
While short-term effects may be subtle, the long-term ecological consequences of viral predation on bacterial populations are significant.
Further research is needed to explore other critical roles of viruses, including genetic exchange and microbial evolution.

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