SGER: Assessing Abundance and Diversity of RNA-containing Viruses in Seawater

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

Viruses are an ubiquitous, abundant, and ecologically important component of marine microbial food webs. They contribute to the disease and mortality of essentially every type of marine life, yet the diversity of marine viral assemblages remains poorly characterized. Previous, indirect evidence suggested that the bulk of the viruses in the sea have double-stranded DNA genomes and cultivation-independent attempts to describe marine viral diversity have so far focused almost exclusively on DNA viruses. Evidence is accumulating, however, that many novel viruses having RNA genomes exist in the marine virioplankton and that they infect not only larger marine animals, but also diverse types of numerically abundant and ecologically important plankton including diatoms, phytoflagellates, and bacteria. Surprisingly, the actual relative abundance in marine environments of viruses with RNA vs DNA genomes is still not known. The overall goal of this project is to develop methods for estimating the relative abundance of RNA viruses and for assessing their diversity in oligotrophic and eutrophic areas of the ocean. Developing the ability to accurately account for the full spectrum of viral diversity in seawater is a necessary first step toward creating the molecular tools required to investigate the ecology of this important group of marine microorganisms. Additional broader impacts include participation in the annual open house held by the School of Ocean and Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii, which draws thousands of visitors over two days including K-12 school groups from over 50 Oahu schools. For these efforts we will create interactive display on the importance of plankton and viruses in the sea and the technology we use to investigate them. Post-doctoral and student participants in the project will be immersed in an interdisciplinary, collaborative research environment gaining hands-on experience in the use of novel methods.