Viruses in the sea surface microlayer, the so-called virioneuston, have recently become of interest to researchers as enigmatic biological entities in the boundary surface layers with potentially important ecological impacts. Given this vast air–water interface sits at the intersection of major air–water exchange processes spanning more than 70% of the global surface area, it is likely to have profound implications for marine biogeochemical cycles, on the microbial loop and gas exchange, as well as the marine food web structure, the global dispersal of airborne viruses originating from the sea surface microlayer, and human health.
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the water column of the world's oceans. In the free water column, the virioplankton typically outnumbers the bacterioplankton by one order of magnitude reaching typical bulk water concentrations of 10 viruses mL. Moreover, they are known as integral parts of global biogeochemical cycles to shape and drive microbial diversity and to structure trophic networks. Like other neuston members, the virioneuston likely originates from the bulk seawater. For instance, in 1977 Baylor et al. postulated adsorption of viruses onto air bubbles as they rise to the surface, or viruses can stick to organic particles also being transported to the SML via bubble scavenging.
Within the SML, viruses interacting with the bacterioneuston will probably induce the viral shunt, a phenomenon that is well known for marine pelagic systems. The term viral shunt describes the release of organic carbon and other nutritious compounds from the virus-mediated lysis of host cells, and its addition to the local dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool. The enriched and densely packed bacterioneuston forms an excellent target for viruses compared to the bacterioplankton populating the subsurface. This is because high host-cell numbers will increase the probability of host–virus encounters. The viral shunt might effectively contribute to the SML's already high DOM content enhancing bacterial production as previously suggested for pelagic ecosystems and in turn replenishing host cells for viral infections. By affecting the DOM pool, viruses in the SML might directly interfere with the microbial loop being initiated when DOM is microbially recycled, converted into biomass, and passed along the food web. In addition, the release of DOM from lysed host cells by viruses contributes to organic particle generation. However, the role of the virioneuston for the microbial loop has never been investigated.