Skip to main content

Marine Viruses: Agents of Chaos, Promoters of Order

  • 1465 Accesses

Part of the The Microbiomes of Humans, Animals, Plants, and the Environment book series (MHAPE,volume 3)

Abstract

Marine viruses are considered the most enigmatic form of life in the oceans. They are, simultaneously, agents of chaos and promoters of order. Whether or not they can be considered living entities, they are active agents of infection and drivers of host diversity. Consequently, they modulate the dynamic changes of populations of marine bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. Marine viruses are highly abundant, diverse, and active components of marine environments and play a crucial role in the ecology and biogeochemistry of marine ecosystems. Their ecological importance across different marine biomes is attested by the profusion of studies published over the previous decades. Regardless of the substantial scientific output so far, the study on the nature and role of marine viruses is far from exhausted. Novel insights have, concurrently, tested hypotheses, consolidated previously knowledge collected, and pushed forward new lines of research. This chapter describes some of these insights published over the past 5 years, by addressing topics that range across various fields of marine virology.

Keywords

  • Bacteriophages
  • Marine virome
  • Viral metagenomics
  • Viral shunt
  • Virioplankton
  • Viromics

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-90383-1_6
  • Chapter length: 29 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-3-030-90383-1
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is dedicated to the memory of Professor Martin Sprung, for his enthusiastic commitment to unveil the mysteries of marine life to his students.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcos Mateus .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mateus, M. (2022). Marine Viruses: Agents of Chaos, Promoters of Order. In: Stal, L.J., Cretoiu, M.S. (eds) The Marine Microbiome. The Microbiomes of Humans, Animals, Plants, and the Environment, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90383-1_6

Download citation