In aquatic environments, mortality is a driving mechanism of evolution, population dynamics, biodiversity, and the fluxes of nutrients, organic matter, and energy. The major mortality processes influencing populations of microbial plankton are grazing by predators and lysis by viruses.
Climate change, and associated effects, are impacting aquatic ecosystems, including the microbial communities which support these systems. However, there are fundamental questions regarding the interactions between microorganisms and their mortality agents which remain unknown. These interactions are occurring against a background of a changing climate. Due to the essential role mortality plays in ecosystems, any changes in these interactions will significantly impact marine ecosystem functioning.
In AEGIS, we seek to understand the interplay between phytoplankton, microzooplankton, and viruses in keystone phytoplankton species, and unravel how this influences microbial population dynamics and biogeochemical cycles in marine ecosystems. Alongside this, we aim to define how climate change impacts, such as rising temperature and altered nutrient dynamics will influence these microbial interactions.
Our interdisciplinary approach includes laboratory, field, data synthesis, and modelling methodologies to understand interactions between phytoplankton, microzooplankton and viruses at different temporal and spatial scales.
The knowledge gained within AEGIS will revolutionize our understanding of complex marine ecosystems, significantly enhancing our ability to predict the impacts of climate change on our oceans and assess mitigation strategies.
