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Updated: May 1, 2026

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
Published on: November 5, 2014
Viral architects of the deep biosphere: reshaping the framework of sedimentary biogeochemistry
Chong Wang1,2,3, Chaomin Sun1,2,3,4
1Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.
Abstract:
A recent minireview by J. R. A. Williams and J. F. Biddle (Appl Environ Microbiol, 92:e00275-25, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00275-25) substantially reframes our understanding of sedimentary viruses. For decades, viruses in marine sediments have been viewed primarily as agents of mortality, their roles largely confined to the canonical "viral shunt" paradigm developed for pelagic systems. The authors expand this perspective, positioning viruses as active participants in benthic biogeochemistry-contributing to nutrient cycling, modulating microbial diversity, and influencing organic matter processing and carbon sequestration. This conceptual shift highlights sedimentary viruses as an integral and, until now, underappreciated component of global element cycles.
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