In an exciting new discovery, scientists have identified 230 previously unknown giant viruses living in our oceans—some of which may influence marine food chains and even impact public health.
These massive viruses, many of them larger and more complex than previously thought possible, were uncovered by researchers at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.
Giant viruses are not like the typical viruses we hear about in daily life. These huge DNA viruses infect single-celled marine organisms called protists, which include algae, amoebas, and flagellates.
Since these tiny organisms sit at the very base of the ocean food web, giant viruses can play a big role in shaping entire ecosystems.
In some cases, they even contribute to harmful algal blooms—explosions of algae growth that can make water toxic, kill fish, and pose risks to human health.
Using high-powered computing, the research team combed through massive public DNA datasets collected from ocean samples around the globe—from the Arctic to the tropics. They developed a special computer program called BEREN to help them search for and identify giant virus genomes in these vast and complex datasets.
BEREN is now freely available to scientists around the world, making it easier to detect and study these mysterious viruses.
Their study, published in Nature npj Viruses, revealed not just 230 new giant viruses but also 530 never-before-seen viral proteins.
Among these were nine proteins linked to photosynthesis—the process plants and algae use to make energy from sunlight. This suggests that some of these giant viruses might actually hijack their hosts’ photosynthesis machinery during infection, possibly to boost their own survival or reproduction.
Benjamin Minch, the study’s lead author and a PhD student at the Rosenstiel School, explained that these viruses appear to have genes typically found only in living cells.
This means the viruses can manipulate their host’s metabolism, influencing how carbon and other nutrients move through the ocean. In short, these viruses aren’t just passive invaders—they’re active players in the chemistry of our planet’s oceans.
Co-author Mohammad Moniruzzaman emphasized the potential impact of these findings. Understanding how these viruses interact with marine life could help scientists better predict and manage harmful algal blooms, which are an increasing problem in coastal regions like Florida. Some of the newly discovered viral functions may even have future uses in biotechnology, as they include unique enzymes not seen before.
Because giant viruses were so hard to detect in the past, they’ve been largely overlooked in scientific studies.
But with new tools like BEREN and the power of modern computing, researchers are now beginning to uncover the hidden world of these ocean giants. This work not only expands our understanding of marine life but also opens new paths for protecting both ocean ecosystems and human health.
