Prof Dr. Corina Brussaard

I study viruses in the seas and oceans. One glass of seawater easily contains 150 million virus particles. But how significant is their ecological effect? At present, we are only investigating the tip of the iceberg. A large number of novel viruses have been found, amongst which giant viruses and viruses that infect other viruses. We have found, for example, that algal mortality due to viruses is considerable, even comparable to losses by grazing of algae by other organisms. Due to their specific preferences who to infect, viruses ensure considerable biodiversity: the death of one gives another the chance to grow. Therefore, viruses contribute to sustaining life in the sea.