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Anderson R, Winter C, Jürgens K
Protist grazing and viral lysis as prokaryotic mortality factors at Baltic Sea oxic-anoxic interfaces
Interface zones between oxic and anoxic water masses are hot spots of prokaryotic activity, as bacteria and archaea have key roles in the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur, carbon and nitrogen. Anderson and co-workers demonstrate that protist grazing is the principal cause of mortality in prokaryotes in Baltic Sea suboxic zones and at the oxic-anoxic interface, accounting for mortality rates of up to 100% of prokaryotic standing stocks per day. In contrast, neither protist grazing nor viral lysis were found to be strong mortality factors in sulfidic waters; the causes of prokaryote mortality in these zones remain to be clarified.
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