Seasonal variations in cyanophage communities in the coastal waters of Kuwait

Cyanobacteria and the viruses that infect them (cyanophages) are crucial to the marine ecosystem, but little is known regarding the genetic diversity of natural cyanophages and their variation over space and time in Kuwait waters. In this study, we explored the seasonal diversity of cyanophages specifically the cyanomyophages in the coastal waters of Kuwait using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and cloning sequencing by targeting the portal protein-encoding gene g20. Surface- and deep-water samples were collected bimonthly from three coastal sites over a period of 14 months.