biostudies-literatureYang QScientific and Technological Innovation Project Financially Supported by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and TechnologyNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Key Research and Development Program of ChinaE95https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6410227biostudies-literatureUnknown11(2)Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in aquatic ecosystems and harbor an enormous amount of genetic diversity. Whereas their influence on marine ecosystems is widely acknowledged, current information about their diversity remains limited. We conducted a viral metagenomic analysis of water samples collected during the austral summer of 2016 from the South Scotia Ridge (SSR), near the Antarctic Peninsula. The taxonomic composition and diversity of the viral communities were investigated, and a functional assessment of the sequences was performed. Phylotypic analysis showed that most viruses belonged to the order <i>Caudovirales</i>, especially the family <i>Podoviridae</i> (41.92⁻48.7%), which is similar to the situation in the Pacific Ocean. Functional analysis revealed a relatVirusesMetagenomic Characterization of the Viral Community of the South Scotia Ridge.PMC64102272016ASKJ142017YFA0603200410760883150033941676178Jiang YWang MMcMinn AShao HYang QGong ZZhou XGao CfalseMetagenomic Characterization of the Viral Community of the South Scotia Ridge.Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in aquatic ecosystems and harbor an enormous amount of genetic diversity. Whereas their influence on marine ecosystems is widely acknowledged, current information about their diversity remains limited. We conducted a viral metagenomic analysis of water samples collected during the austral summer of 2016 from the South Scotia Ridge (SSR), near the Antarctic Peninsula. The taxonomic composition and diversity of the viral communities were investigated, and a functional assessment of the sequences was performed. Phylotypic analysis showed that most viruses belonged to the order <i>Caudovirales</i>, especially the family <i>Podoviridae</i> (41.92⁻48.7%), which is similar to the situation in the Pacific Ocean. Functional analysis revealed a relat2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 Jan2026-05-01T03:42:19.419Z2019-06-06T20:58:50ZS-EPMC64102273067835210.3390/v11020095