Science / Environment
Bacteria speed virus-driven collapse of ocean algal blooms, study finds
Researchers identified Alteromonas bacteria as drivers of the effect.
Status: source-checked.
Bacteria significantly enhance virus-induced death of ocean algae, helping explain why entire blooms collapse together, according to a study published Nov. 4 in Nature.
Fewer than 30% of algal cells in a collapsing bloom are typically infected by viruses, the authors noted. They identified Alteromonas bacteria as drivers of the combined effect.
What we know / what we don't
What we know
- The study was published in Nature.
What we don't know
- How widely the effect operates in open ocean conditions needs further study.
The source record