VIRAL LYSIS OF PHAEOCYSTIS-POUCHETII AND BACTERIAL SECONDARY PRODUCTION

In this experimental study we investigated the effect of viral infecti on on primary production and carbon now in a phytoplankton-DOC-bacteri a food chain during viral lysis of the phytoplankton population. The p hytoplankter host-virus system used was Phaeocystis pouchetii (Prymnes iophyceae) and the virus PpV01. Viral infection allowed primary produc tion in the cells to continue throughout most of the lytic cycle. In n on-infected algal cultures, net production of DOC and bacterial biomas s was low and at the end of the experiment the DOC concentration was 1 0 to 20%, and the bacterial biomass 0.5 to 4 % of the algal carbon bio mass. The amount of DOC released during viral lysis of the algal cells implies that the entire algal biomass was converted to DOG. Growth of bacteria succeeding cell lysis and release of DOC in Virus infected c ultures demonstrated that the net effect of the virus infection was an efficient conversion of algal biomass into bacterial biomass.