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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
10:43
Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
Published on: November 5, 2014
Marine viruses and global climate change
Roberto Danovaro1, Cinzia Corinaldesi, Antonio Dell'anno
1Department of Marine Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy. r.danovaro@univpm.it
FEMS Microbiology Reviews
|January 6, 2011
Summary
Marine viruses play a critical role in ocean ecosystems, influencing carbon cycling and food webs. Understanding these marine viruses is essential for predicting climate change impacts on ocean health and function.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Oceanography
- Climate Science
Background:
- Climate change is altering marine environments through warming, ice melt, and acidification.
- These changes impact marine ecosystem structure, function, and biogeochemical cycles.
- Marine viruses are increasingly recognized as key players in these transformations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the multifaceted impacts of climate change on marine viruses.
- To examine the consequences for viral function, assemblages, and host interactions.
- To assess the role of viruses in ocean biogeochemical cycles and climate feedback.
Main Methods:
- Review of case studies on climate change effects on marine viruses.
- Analysis of viral influence on biogeochemical cycles and ocean metabolism.
- Discussion of virus-host interactions under changing ocean conditions.
Main Results:
- Climate change directly and indirectly affects marine viruses, with cascading effects on food webs and ocean metabolism.
- Marine viruses significantly influence biogeochemical cycles, ocean carbon sequestration, and air-sea gas exchange.
- Evidence suggests marine viruses actively interact with climate change, modulating ocean feedback.
Conclusions:
- Marine viruses are crucial biotic components influencing ocean responses to climate change.
- Further research on host-virus dynamics is needed to integrate viral roles into ocean climate models.
- Accurate prediction of climate change impacts requires incorporating the viral component into oceanographic models.
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