Phytoplankton Microcosm: An Oceanic Study on Algal Blooms and Ciliate Community Composition

To understand the dynamics of microbes in marine food webs, we conducted an environmental study on the effects of algal blooms on ciliate communities. To date, there is limited information on how microbial communities function in marine settings. We assessed whether differences in size of prey influence community composition based on the basic principle that the bigger you are, the more you will eat. To represent the blooms, we used four treatments: control (No phytoplankton addition), Phaeodactylum tricornutum (diatom), Tetraselmis chuii (chlorophyte) and Isochrysis galbana (haptophyte). By using DGGE, a molecular fingerprinting technique, we are elucidating the impact of bloom on ciliate community composition.Our preliminary data suggest (1) the size does not matter: there is very little difference in responses by nanosized and microsized ciliate, (2) the chlorophyte seems to support a more diverse community, and (3) incubation affects ciliate communities (T0).