Abstract
Studies were conducted in shallow and deepwater areas of the Kara Sea. The abundance of bacteria (NB) and the abundance of viruses (NV) ranged within (19.4–2215.1) × 103 cells/ml and (97.6–5796.8) × 103 particles/ml, respectively. The virus to bacteria ratio varied from 1.4 to 29.1. A positive correlation was found between NB and NV (R = 0.87, n = 45, p = 0.05. Using electron transmission microscopy it was detected that the frequency of visibly infected cells of bacteria (FVIC) varied from 0.2 to 1.9% of NB. The maximum values of FVIC were recorded in the estuary of the Yenisei River. The infected cells of bacteria contained from 4 to 127 (an average of 12) phages/cell of mature viruses. Virus-mediated mortality of bacteria was 0.5% and varied from 1.4 to 16.1% of the total mortality of bacterioplankton. This indicates a minor role of viruses in the control of overabundance and production of bacterioplankton in the Kara Sea during the surveyed period.
Published Version
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