Viral infection arrests microalgae-host calcification and nutrient consumption, and triggers shifts in organic stoichiometry

Blooms of the dominant coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi are routinely infected by a specific lytic virus (EhV), which rapidly kills host cells triggering bloom termination and organic and inorganic carbon export. However, the impact of EhV on the dynamic of resource acquisition and cellular stoichiometry remains unknown, limiting the current understanding of the ecological and biogeochemical significance of E. huxleyi blooms. To tackle this knowledge gap, we used algal and EhV cultures to determine over the course of infections the dynamics of alkalinity, modulated by calcification, nitrate and phosphate consumption and organic matter stoichiometry. - Raw data used for this paper https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.11.548577