Overview of Antarctic marine viruses (IMAGE)

Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research (OLAR)

Overview of Antarctic marine viruses

Caption

Viruses are abundant and diverse across Antarctic sea ice, surface waters, and deep ocean habitats, with many unique polar populations. They employ both lytic and lysogenic strategies, with community composition and infection modes shifting markedly during phytoplankton blooms. Antarctic marine viruses play critical roles in nutrient cycling and carry adaptive auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) that enhance host survival under extreme polar conditions.

Credit

Chuan Zhai, Fraser Kennedy & OLAR

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