Arctic marine fungi: biomass, functional genes, and putative ecological roles.

ABSTRACT: Recent molecular evidence suggests a global distribution of marine fungi; however, the ecological relevance and corresponding biological contributions of fungi to marine ecosystems remains largely unknown. We assessed fungal biomass from the open Arctic Ocean by applying novel biomass conversion factors from cultured isolates to environmental sterol and CARD-FISH data. We found an average of 16.54 nmol m^-3 of ergosterol in sea ice and seawater, which corresponds to 1.74 mg C m^-3 (444.56 mg C m^-2 in seawater). Using Chytridiomycota-specific probes, we observed free-living and particulate-attached cells that averaged 34.07 µg C m^-3 in sea ice and seawater (11.66 mg C m^-2 in seawater). Summed CARD-FISH and ergosterol values approximate 1.

SUBMITTER: Hassett BT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6775997 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature