Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2005

DOI

10.1093/plankt/fbh168

Publication Title

Journal of Plankton Research

Issue

2

Pages

167-174

Abstract

Naturally occurring viruses are extremely abundant in aquatic systems, and they infect bacteria, cyanobacteria, prokaryotic and eukaryotic phytoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, fish and mammals. Viral infections of single-celled organisms have been studied intensively in the past decade, but little is known about the effects of viruses on aquatic metazoans, other than for some economically important species. Because zooplankton assemblages are often dominated in number and biomass by copepods, we used them as model organisms to study the effects of naturally occurring viruses on higher trophic levels. We attempted to induce viral infection in laboratory-reared cultures of the estuarine copepod Acartia tonsa Dana by exposing them to elevated concentrations of natural viruses in seawater. We found no negative effects of such exposure on copepod fecundity, larval survival or adult survival.

Rights

Web of Science: "Free full-text from publisher."

Original Publication Citation

Drake, L. A., & Dobbs, F. C. (2005). Do viruses affect fecundity and survival of the copepod Acartia tonsa Dana? Journal of Plankton Research, 27(2), 167-174. doi:10.1093/plankt/fbh168

ORCID

0000-0002-3901-179X (Dobbs)

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