NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

Viruses aren’t all bad: In the ocean, some help fuel the food web – a new study shows how

  • Written by Steven Wilhelm, Professor of Microbiology, University of Tennessee
imageA research ship sails in the Atlantic Ocean, where scientists are studying the roles of marine viruses.SW Wilhelm

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, we and an international team of...

Read more: Viruses aren’t all bad: In the ocean, some help fuel the food web – a new study shows how

More Articles ...

  1. 3 ways US actions in Venezuela violated international law
  2. Nearly half of Detroit seniors spend at least 30% of their income on housing costs − even as real estate values fall
  3. Small businesses say they aren’t planning to hire many recent graduates for entry-level jobs – here’s why
  4. Wars without clear purpose erode presidential legacies, and Trump risks political consequences with further military action in Venezuela
  5. Colorado ranks among the highest states in the country for flu – an emergency room physician describes why the 2025-26 flu season is hitting hard
  6. DOJ criminal probe highlights risk of Fed losing independence – a central bank scholar explains what’s at stake
  7. How social media is channeling popular discontent in Iran during ongoing period of domestic unrest
  8. Ukraine is under pressure to trade land for peace − if it does, history shows it might not ever get it back
  9. What is Christian Reconstructionism − and why it matters in US politics
  10. Eating less ultraprocessed food supports healthier aging, new research shows
  11. Saudi-UAE bust-up over Yemen was only a matter of time − and reflects wider rift over vision for the region
  12. Financial case for college remains strong, but universities need to add creative thinking to their curriculum
  13. What is below Earth, since space is present in every direction?
  14. Trump lawsuits seek to muzzle media, posing serious threat to free press
  15. Venezuela’s oil industry has flailed under government control – Mexico and Brazil have had more success with nationalizing
  16. CPR on TV is often inaccurate – but watching characters jump to the rescue can still save real lives
  17. NASA’s Pandora telescope will study stars in detail to learn about the exoplanets orbiting them
  18. Damn the torpedoes! Trump ditches a crucial climate treaty as he moves to dismantle America’s climate protections
  19. Damn the torpedoes! Trump ditches a crucial climate treaty in latest move to dismantle America’s climate protections
  20. George Washington’s foreign policy was built on respect for other nations and patient consideration of future burdens
  21. Why the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s closure exposes a growing threat to democracy
  22. The 6-7 craze offered a brief window into the hidden world of children
  23. Meth inflames and stimulates your brain through similar pathways – new research offers potential avenue to treat meth addiction
  24. ‘Shared decision-making’ for childhood vaccines sounds empowering – but it may mean less access for families already stretched thin
  25. Live healthier in 2026 by breathing cleaner air at home
  26. Americans have had their mail-in ballots counted after Election Day for generations − a Supreme Court ruling could end the practice
  27. The 17th-century Pueblo leader who fought for independence from colonial rule – long before the American Revolution
  28. Superheavy-lift rockets like SpaceX’s Starship could transform astronomy by making space telescopes cheaper
  29. ICE killing of driver in Minneapolis involved tactics many police departments warn against − but not ICE itself
  30. New US dietary guidelines recommend more protein and whole milk, less ultraprocessed foods
  31. Illness is more than just biological – medical sociology shows how social factors get under the skin and cause disease
  32. Seeking honor is a double-edged sword – from ancient Greece to samurai Japan, thinkers have wrestled with whether it’s the way to virtue
  33. Racial profiling by ICE agents mirrors the targeting of Japanese Americans during World War II
  34. The western US is in a snow drought, and storms have been making it worse
  35. Taming the moral menace at capitalism’s core
  36. Grok produces sexualized photos of women and minors for users on X – a legal scholar explains why it’s happening and what can be done
  37. Cuba’s leaders just lost an ally in Maduro − if starved of Venezuelan oil, they may also lose what remains of their public support
  38. Congress takes up health care again − and impatient voters shouldn’t hold their breath for a cure
  39. Risks young chimps take as they swing through the trees underscore role of protective parenting in humans
  40. Today Venezuela, tomorrow Iran: can the Islamic Republic survive a second Trump presidency?
  41. Viral outbreaks are always on the horizon – here are the viruses an infectious disease expert is watching in 2026
  42. New federal loan limits will worsen America’s nursing shortage and leave patients waiting longer for care
  43. How facial recognition for bears can help ecologists manage wildlife
  44. Why 2026 could see the end of the Farm Bill era of American agriculture policy
  45. How tourism, a booming wellness culture and social media are transforming the age-old Japanese tea ceremony
  46. Wearing a weighted vest can promote bone health and weight loss, but it’s not a cure-all
  47. Venezuela’s civil-military alliance is being stretched — if it breaks, numerous armed groups may be drawn into messy split
  48. RFK Jr. guts the US childhood vaccine schedule despite its decades-long safety record
  49. Regime change means different things to different people. Either way, it hasn’t happened in Venezuela … yet
  50. Americans generally like wolves − except when we’re reminded of our politics