Environmental Microbiology, Soil Microbiology & Microbial Biogeochemistry

Marine Microbiology

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The oceans represent the largest ecosystem on Earth and 90% of its biomass is microbial. The diversity of microbial life in the oceans is extremely high and spans all known groups of Bacteria, Archaea and microbial Eukarya. However, this diversity is highly under sampled and a thorough understanding of the identity and physiology of marine microbes and their interactions is a major field of research where progress urgently demanded.

Cyanobacteria were responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere 2.2 billion years ago but this group of organisms may be as old as 3.5 billion years. Almost all life in the oceans is directly or indirectly dependent on photosynthesis. Nitrogen is after carbon the most important component of organisms, but only a few specialized bacteria – especially cyanobacteria – are capable of utilizing the omnipresent atmospheric nitrogen (N2).