Ecosystem Viralization and Microbialization

Bacterial viruses switch between lytic (a.k.a., virulent) and lysogenic (a.k.a., temperate) life cycles. Lysogeny is often associated with pathogenesis of animals. Perturbations that favor the lysogenic states include organic carbon loading and processes that decrease oxygen (e.g., increased temperatures of seawater) which is embodied in electron Donor-to- Acceptor Ratios (e-DAR; most simply the amount of biologically available organic carbon to oxygen). The comparatively short lifetimes of viruses means that a switch from lytic to lysogeny, or vice versa, is an early, strong indicator of ecosystem health primarily from an animal point of view. This prospectus describes how animal health is promoted in viralized ecosystems which are characterized by higher Virus-to-Microbe Ratios (VMRs), lower e-DAR, and catabolic metabolisms.