Ecology of Marine Microbes

Modern marine microbial ecology started in the 1970s, when it was shown that microbes were very abundant and active in seawater. Nowadays, marine microbes are known to be responsible for about half of Earth's primary production, most of the respiration of the ocean and the sustainability of marine food webs, harboring a huge reservoir of taxonomic and functional biodiversity. The change of perspective has been spectacular and has given birth to the field of Microbial Oceanography to reflect the wide range of scales and methodological approaches used. The Ecology of Marine Microbes group integrates scientists from different disciplines and research topics, using complementary methods to address the ecological and functional role of marine microorganisms at different resolutions: from communities to species or ecotypes. Current interests are summarized in the following research lines: 1) Biodiversity and Biogeography, 2) Microbial Activities: from Single Cells to Biogeochemical Cycles, and 3) Genes and Genomes: Function and Evolution.