Virus Triptych

Artist commission for Professor Jim Mitchell, Flinders University.

Viruses are by far the most abundant 'lifeforms' in the oceans and are the reservoir of most of the genetic diversity in the sea. The estimated 10^30 (1 million billion billion billion) viruses in the ocean, if stretched end to end, would span farther than the nearest 60 galaxies.

Marine viral blooms occur when ocean viruses multiply rapidly in response to environmental triggers, affecting fish, coral, and other marine organisms while playing crucial roles in ecosystem regulation and nutrient cycling.