Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.
Nat Rev Microbiol. 2017 Apr;15(4):205-216. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.176. Epub 2017 Jan 16.
Coral reefs occur in nutrient-poor shallow waters, constitute biodiversity and productivity hotspots, and are threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. This Review provides an introduction to coral reef virology and emphasizes the links between viruses, coral mortality and reef ecosystem decline. We describe the distinctive benthic-associated and water-column- associated viromes that are unique to coral reefs, which have received less attention than viruses in open-ocean systems. We hypothesize that viruses of bacteria and eukaryotes dynamically interact with their hosts in the water column and with scleractinian (stony) corals to influence microbial community dynamics, coral bleaching and disease, and reef biogeochemical cycling. Last, we outline how marine viruses are an integral part of the reef system and suggest that the influence of viruses on reef function is an essential component of these globally important environments.
珊瑚礁存在于营养贫瘠的浅水中，构成了生物多样性和生产力的热点区域，但却受到人为干扰的威胁。本综述介绍了珊瑚礁病毒学，并强调了病毒、珊瑚死亡和珊瑚礁生态系统衰退之间的联系。我们描述了独特的底栖相关和水柱相关病毒组，这些病毒组是珊瑚礁所特有的，它们比开放海洋系统中的病毒受到的关注要少。我们假设细菌和真核生物的病毒与宿主在水柱中以及与石珊瑚（硬珊瑚）中动态相互作用，从而影响微生物群落动态、珊瑚白化和疾病以及珊瑚礁生物地球化学循环。最后，我们概述了海洋病毒是珊瑚礁系统不可或缺的一部分，并指出病毒对珊瑚礁功能的影响是这些全球重要环境的重要组成部分。
