Nicole Geerlings (@nmjgeerlings.bsky.social)

Viruses in marine sediments: a review of their effect on biogeochemistry and microbial interactions | Applied and Environmental Microbiology In the ocean, viruses are known to mediate the carbon cycle, keeping dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the microbial loop and preventing its movement into secondary consumers (1). However, few direct measurements of this carbon flux exist, and recent considerations of the ocean system consider that viruses can not only loop carbon in the dissolved pool but also participate in a carbon shuttle through the creation of aggregates that pellet or can be part of a viral vent that releases carbon into the atmosphere (2). While the pelagic ocean has been well reviewed for viral contributions to microbial diversity and biogeochemical cycling, less attention has been paid in recent years to the sedimentary portion of the ocean, where carbon is potentially stored over geological time, but viral influence can still be felt. Here, we review the literature on viruses in sedimentary ecosystems and their potential role in biogeochemistry and microbial diversity. https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.00275-25