Virus . The word evokes images of illness and fears of outbreaks. Yet, in the oceans, not all viruses are bad news. Some play a helpful, even critical, role in sustaining marine life. In a new study, an international team of scientists and I examined the behavior of marine viruses in a large band of oxygen-rich water just under the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. What we discovered there – and its role in the food web – shows marine viruses in a new light. Studying something so tiny Viruses are