Marine viruses, shown in purple, surround potential microbes. The odds are stacked against the microbes when there are so many viruses. Willie Wilson, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.
![](https://worldofviruses.unl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/71.jpg)
Marine viruses, shown in purple, surround potential microbes. The odds are stacked against the microbes when there are so many viruses. Willie Wilson, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.
Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. They have a characteristic shape. Cyanophage photo by Willie Wilson, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.