Viruses in aquatic systems

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At abundances of 1 to 100 million/mL, viruses are by far the most numerous "lifeforms" in the ocean; if placed end-to-end, viruses in the sea would stretch farther than the nearest 60 galaxies. They infect Avogadro's number cells per second, and are major players in mortality, biogeochemical cycling and structuring planktonic communities. Prokaryotes constitute most of the biomass in the world's oceans, and ~10 to 20 % of this biomass is lysed daily by viruses, resulting in 6 to 26 % of carbon fixed by phytoplankton passing through the viral shunt. In addition to their ecological and geochemical importance, viruses represent the greatest genetic diversity in the sea. The research outlined in this proposal is focused on understanding and quantifying the impact of viruses on marine planktonic systems, and characterizing their enormous genetic and biological diversity.