Aquatic Microbial Interactions: Ecology, Diversity and Impact of Phytoplankton Parasites
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2021) | Viewed by 3241
Special Issue Editors
Interests: marine microbial ecology; host-parasite interactions; protists; phytoplankton; molecular ecology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phytoplankton and their seasonal blooms play an essential role in aquatic food webs. They are responsible for half of global primary production, fixing CO2, which is then recycled through ecological interactions contributing to biogeochemical cycles and transferring nutrients across multiple trophic levels of the food web. In recent decades, studies on aquatic microbial ecology have highlighted that eukaryotic parasitic interactions are an important driving factor for the dynamics of primary producers, which may control host population and bloom dynamics, amending phytoplankton communities and leading to species succession. Our knowledge of the biology, ecology, diversity and dynamics of such aquatic microbial interactions, however, is very limited. Increased research in identifying, quantifying and understanding the nature of these parasitic interactions is pivotal to comprehending the role played by microbial parasitism and its impact on aquatic ecosystems.
In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight studies on aquatic microbial interactions with a focus on eukaryotic parasites of phytoplankton, including freshwater and marine habitats. We are interested in the identification and quantification of host–parasite associations; parasite diversity and distribution, host-parasite seasonal dynamics, and the impact of eukaryotic parasitism on the phytoplankton population, harmful algal blooms and community structure. Environmental studies and culture-based approaches on the effects of abiotic (e.g., salinity and temperature) and biotic factors (e.g., competition and grazing) on infection dynamics are also welcome.
Dr. Albert Reñé
Dr. Elisabet Alacid
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- phytoplankton
- protists
- parasitism
- harmful algal blooms
- host–parasite dynamics
- diversity
- aquatic microbial ecosystems
- molecular ecology
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