Experimental warming effects on microbial community growth and mortality during the cold season in coastal waters of Taiwan and Japan
Description
The study hypothesizes that viral lysis and grazing by microzooplankton significantly influence the net growth rates of bacterial populations, Synechococcus spp., and picoeukaryotes in marine environments. These processes may vary under different temperature conditions, particularly with ambient versus warming temperatures, and across different sample locations. The data comprises net growth rates of four microbial groups—bacteria, Synechococcus spp., picoeukaryotes, and picoeukaryotes—obtained from dilution series experiments. These experiments were conducted at three stations, T, J1 and J2, over two incubation periods (day 2 and day 5) and under two temperature regimes (ambient and warming). The seawater samples were filtered to two different levels: 0.2μm (removes large grazers) and 30 kDa (removes all microorganisms including virus) filtered seawater. The former retains small viruses and dissolved organic matter, while the latter is nearly sterile, removing even the smallest viruses and bacteria. The data indicates that warming temperatures generally enhance the net growth rates of bacteria and picoeukaryotes over time. This could be due to increased metabolic rates or a reduction in viral and grazing pressures at higher temperatures. These findings are crucial for understanding microbial dynamics in marine environments, particularly in the context of climate change. The differential responses of bacterial, cyanobacterial (Synechococcus spp.), and picoeukaryotic populations to viral lysis, grazing, and temperature changes can inform predictive models of microbial community structure and function under future oceanic conditions. This understanding is essential for managing marine ecosystems and predicting their responses to global warming.