Table 3.

Multivariate regression analyses with forward selection (DISTLM forward) explaining variabilities in virioplankton and picoplankton abundances and environmental factors in the epipelagic layers of Caroline Seamount

	Selected variables	Pseudo‐F	P	r2	Cumulative
Seamount stations (n = 63)
VLP	NO3 −	54.69	0.001	0.47	0.47
	S	19.01	0.001	0.10	0.57
	PRO	6.85	0.011	0.05	0.62
	HP	6.45	0.011	0.05	0.67
LFV	T	56.87	0.001	0.48	0.48
	NO3 −	9.04	0.009	0.07	0.55
MFV	NO3 −	37.50	0.001	0.38	0.38
	HP	56.35	0.001	0.23	0.61
	S	17.20	0.001	0.14	0.75
	PRO	10.79	0.006	0.04	0.79
HFV	NO3 −	40.40	0.001	0.40	0.40
	S	77.28	0.001	0.24	0.64
	PRO	12.52	0.001	0.10	0.74
	HP	10.16	0.003	0.07	0.81
Far‐field stations (n = 83)
VLP	T	64.73	0.001	0.32	0.32
	S	30.92	0.001	0.28	0.60
LFV	HP	20.31	0.001	0.20	0.20
	S	22.24	0.001	0.17	0.37
	NO2 −	8.22	0.005	0.06	0.43
MFV	PRO	42.03	0.001	0.34	0.34
	NO3 −	30.91	0.001	0.18	0.52
	T	54.34	0.001	0.14	0.66
	Depth	28.96	0.001	0.13	0.79
HFV	NO3 −	50.99	0.001	0.39	0.39
	Depth	41.28	0.001	0.21	0.60
	T	57.20	0.001	0.17	0.77
	HP	13.51	0.001	0.03	0.80

The response variable was log‐transformed and resulting data converted into Euclidian distance similarity matrices. Pseudo‐F and P values obtained by permutation (n = 999).

Abbreviations: HFV, high fluorescence viruses; HP, heterotrophic prokaryotes; LFV, low fluorescence viruses; MFV, medium fluorescence viruses; PRO, Prochlorococcus; S, salinity; T, temperature; VLP, virus‐like particles.