Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #222: Viral Mediated Processes in Polar Seas  (Viral Processes or ViMPiPS)

Outline
Viruses are by far the most abundant biological entity on the Earth, and are often 10-fold or more abundant than prokaryotes in environmental samples. In addition, they can be significant agents of mortality for heterotrophic and photoautotrophic marine microbial communities. Estimates indicate that as much as a quarter of the carbon fixed by photosynthesis can flow through the viral shunt. Moreover, it is hypothesized that viruses decrease the efficiency of the biological pump in the world’s oceans by converting particulate organic carbon into dissolved and colloidal organic carbon that does not sink into the deep ocean. Rather it is respired into the surface layer as carbon dioxide which is in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Little is known about the role of virus communities in the polar oceans. However, results from a number of expeditions including CASES and JWACS have shown that viruses are an abundant, dynamic and diverse component of the Arctic Ocean. The proposed research envisions an international effort to understand the role of viruses in polar marine ecosystems. The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) has recently formed a working group to investigate the role of viruses in marine ecosystems. As part of this effort we propose mounting an international program to investigate the role of viruses in marine polar systems. The effort would quantify the abundance, composition and dynamics of marine viral communities, as well as their impact on mortality and geochemical cycling, across a wide range of Arctic and Antarctic marine environments. Particular efforts will focus on viral mediated mortality of autotrophic and heterotrophic plankton, including bloom termination. As well, the proposed research will investigate the effects of viral lysis on nutrient regeneration and planktonic community composition as well as examine the composition of marine viral communities in different environments. This project would be the first to focus on viruses and viral mediated processes in polar environments.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The project directly addresses the themes as follows: Theme 1 by characterizing the abundance and composition of viruses in polar seas. Theme 2 by documenting short-term changes in viral communities and associated rate processes. Theme 3 by contrasting viruses and viral mediated processes in a wide range of polar environments. Theme 4 by quantifying the significances of viruses and viral mediated processes in polar ecosystems. Theme 6 potentially by building linkages between the role of viruses in the environment and resultant effects on resources used by indigenous peoples.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Interest has been expressed by colleagues in the US and France. As well, there are programs in the UK, Netherlands and Norway with active research programs investigating viruses in polar seas. This proposed research effort will be brought forward at the first meeting of the SCOR virus working group in June.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Ideally, the Canadian component would include a transect across the Arctic from the Bering Sea, through the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, the Canadian Archipelago, and into the Labrador Sea. There is flexibility in the areas sampled and it would depend on the available infrastructure. International collaborators would mount expeditions in the Greenland and Norwegian Seas and the Southern Ocean.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/07-09-07      06/08-09/08      
Antarctic: 01/08-04/08      01/09-04/09      

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Logistic support in Canada would require the Amundson. International partners would provide support to the other areas.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
We would provide a library of microbial DNA from a wide range of polar marine environments that would be available for analysis and bio-prospecting for many years

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
No. The project was discussed with the Canadian IPY Secretariat, and submission encouraged.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New

How will the project be organised and managed?
The scientific board of directors (steering committee) would be comprised of the full members of the SCOR marine virus working group. Each of the International projects will be led by led by a member of the working group. It is envisioned that each project will employ a research associate that will be in charge of logistics. It is proposed that each of the partners will oversee a specific aspect of the project. For example, Suttle might oversee studies on viral abundance and diversity, Weinbauer could coordinate studies on viral effects on microbial diversity, Wilhelm might coordinate mortality studies on bacteria, while Brussaard or Wilson coordinated efforts on bloom termination. This would ensure that complimentary and comparable data were collected on each ship.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
This would be a large international project, and it is hoped that funds would be included that would allow for a comprehensive communication strategy with educators, indigenous communities and the media. The model we would propose using is similar to that employed by CASES in Canada. In addition, we will routinely post communications on the Marine Virus Website being implemented as part of the SCOR working group.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
This will be discussed by the steering committee, is to share all relevant data amongst all investigators as soon as it is assembled and validated. Sequence data will be deposited in GenBank. It is anticipated that the viral studies will be a component of larger missions to polar seas that will have comprehensive data archiving plans in place. If this is not done, data collected on the Canadian mission will be archived follow the model from the CASES expedition.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding has not been identified for the project. It is possible the Canadian component could be funded as a Special Research Opportunity, but realistically it would seem that funding would have to be part of an overall strategy to fund polar research in Canada. It is anticipated the Canadian funding required would be ca $150,000 per year.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This project will provide continuity with previous projects involved with global change in the Canadian Arctic including CASES, ArcticNet and NRiSCC.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor Curtis Suttle
University of British Columbia Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences
6270 University Blvd
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z4
Canada

Tel: (604) 822-8610
Mobile: no
Fax: (604) 822-6091
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation