Isolation and characterization of a novel linear-plasmid phage from the sediment of the Mariana Trench

• HMP1 is the first bacteriophage isolated from hadal sediment, with the highest water depth on record up to now. • The isolation of HMP1 extends the habitat of linear plasmid phages from the surface to the deep ocean. • The genomic and morphological features of HMP1 provide hints on the vertical exchange of viral communities in the ocean. • HMP1 and Halomonas sp. MT08-1 contribute a useful hadal phage-host system for in-depth analysis in the future.