Viruses associated with healthy and bleached thalli of the green seaweed Ulva

Characterizing viral communities associated with Ulva is the first step towards understanding the role of viruses in the ecology (e.g. the occurrence of green tides) and aquaculture of this green seaweed. In this study, we characterize Ulva associated DNA and RNA viruses from cultivated and natural populations, as well as bleached and healthy thalli, using metagenomic analyses.