Pathways utilizing nutrients found in low concentrations in the local environment are generally found in higher abundance in the virus. In marine environments, AMGs can confer fitness advantages for both host and viruses under relatively nutrient-limited conditions compared to sediment and strong ultraviolet stress of water. In sunlit versus dark ocean waters, AMGs in distinct pathways are unequally distributed to reprogram host energy production and viral replication based on available nutrients. In sedimentary environments, carbon and sulfur metabolism AMGs are typically more prevalent to outcompete other organisms for the abundant resources.