Metagenomic analysis of the viral communities in ballast water

Abstract

Ballast water can transport invasive species to new aquatic environments. We used metagenomics to examine the composition and diversity of viral communities in ballast water and port water from Busan, Korea. Ballast water was collected in vessels arriving from foreign ports (Mexico, Saudi Arabia, New York, and Panama) and water was also collected from the port in Busan. Myoviridae was the most dominant family in ballast water, followed by Podoviridae and Siphoviridae, and the water from the Busan port had similar distribution. Viruses whose hosts are invertebrates, amoebae, and algae were also common in the ballast water and in the Busan port water. We also identified Swinepox virus, Raccoonpox virus, Suid herpesvirus, and Human endogenous retrovirus, whose hosts are animals including humans, in ballast water from New York and Panama. These results provide the first detailed description of viruses in ballast water and document the presence of viral diversity and the potential of the ship-mediated spread of viruses.