Final answer:
The incorrect statement about marine viruses is that they are prokaryotic. Viruses are not living cells and therefore not classified as prokaryotes or eukaryotes, but nonliving entities that require a host to replicate and can cause disease.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that is NOT true for marine viruses is that they are prokaryotic. Viruses, including marine viruses, are not classified as prokaryotes or eukaryotes because they are not cells at all; instead, they are nonliving collections of a protein coat, or capsid, and genetic material, which can be either DNA or RNA. While they are very common in the marine environment (Option A), consist of a protein coat and genetic material (Option C), and can cause disease in marine organisms (Option D), they do not have the cellular structure that characterizes prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms.
It is true that glycoproteins help a virus attach to the host cell, and that the protein subunits that make up the capsid are called capsomeres. Not all viruses contain DNA as some have RNA instead, and they are not all encased in a viral membrane. Viruses are considered obligate parasites, meaning they require a host to replicate. They use the host cell's machinery to produce new copies of their genome but only some, not all, have envelopes. While some DNA viruses can cause cancer, not all do, and some are indeed important plant pathogens.