The replicated genome is packed into assembled capsids in the cytoplasm and the newly formed (up to 400–1000) virions are thought to be transported to the plasma membrane and released by a controlled budding mechanism, which leads to the cellular breakdown of the host cell.

[citation needed] During G2 and M stage of the life cycle, the coccosphere is incomplete and the exposure of the plasma membrane to the virus is increased.

Furthermore, EhV DNA was also detected in copepods, leading to the proposal that viruses are further dispersed by virus-carrying zooplankton.

[7] To date 14 EhV strains have been isolated between 1999 and 2008 primarily from the English Channel (EC) but also from the Norwegian and Scotland's Coast.

Family A repeat units are non-coding and characterised by a nanomer (GTTCCC(T/C)AA) that in total, appears at 106 locations within this region.

Later in the summer of 2005 researchers at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (Willie Wilson et al.) and at the Sanger Institute (Holden et al.) sequenced the genome for the EhV-86 strain finding it to have 472 protein-coding genes making it a "giant-virus", and the largest known marine virus by genome[2].

From initial investigation of the Coccolithoviruses genome, a sequence of genes responsible for production of ceramide was discovered.