Ocean Sustainability
Over 70% of the earth is covered in water, which serves as a vital resource human subsistence. Contamination and acidification pose major threats to aquatic health and biodiversity. Microbes offer a promising solution in their ability to breakdown contamination from oil spills and plastics. Applied microbiologists can play a significant part in understanding biodiversity, contributing to solutions, and encouraging stewardship.
New conservation committee led by Applied Microbiology International calls on science community to get on board with microbial conservation
The team behind a new world-leading conservation committee headed by Applied Microbiology International (AMI) is calling on global scientific and conservation communities to get on board to protect microbial life.
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Alkali waste dumped in the Pacific Ocean created alkalophilic microbial ecosystems
Barrels filled with industrial waste that were dumped in the sea near Los Angeles more than 50 years ago are creating new microbial ecosystems adapted to highly alkaline conditions.
Extreme diatoms inside the Arctic ice glide into the record books
Diatoms found in polar ice are active until temperatures drop to -15 C - the lowest ever recorded for movement by a eukaryotic cell.
Living ink containing bacteria could help rebuild coral reefs
Researchers created a living material that encourages coral larvae to attach and settle down. Bacterial Reef Ink (BRINK) is a photopolymerized hydrogel hosting two native Hawaiian settlement-inducing bacterial strains.
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Ocean warming puts vital marine microbe Prochlorococcus at risk
A new study finds that Prochlorococcus prefers ocean water between 66 and 86 degrees and doesn’t tolerate water much warmer. Climate models predict that subtropical and tropical ocean temperatures will exceed that threshold in the next 75 years.
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Coral-inspired pill offers a new window into the hidden world of the gut
Marine corals have evolved intricate, porous structures that shelter diverse microbial communities. Researchers have borrowed this biological blueprint to create an ingestible pill that can sample bacteria from one of the most inaccessible regions of the human body: the small intestine.
Fighting extinction, coral reefs show signs of adapting to warming seas
By studying how six months of elevated ocean temperatures would affect a species of coral from the northern Red Sea, scientists found that although these organisms can certainly survive in conditions that mimic future warming trends, they don’t thrive.
Stress-tolerant corals could help buy time for reefs in a warming world
New research demonstrates how corals that naturally thrive in extreme environments could be used in restoration efforts to protect vulnerable reef systems.
Less is more: Gene loss drives adaptive evolution of a pandemic bacterium
A study reveals a surprising evolutionary insight: sometimes, losing genes rather than gaining them can help bacterial pathogens survive and thrive. The research focused on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium behind many of the seafood-related infections worldwide.
Microalgae are more significant for carbon dioxide absorption in the Southern Ocean than previously thought
14,000 years ago, algal blooms in the Southern Ocean helped to massively reduce the global carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere – as has now been revealed by new analyses of ancient DNA. Declines in sea ice pose a serious threat to these algae.
Tiny ocean partnership between algae and bacteria reveals secrets of evolution
The microscopic alliance between algae and bacteria offers rare, step-by-step snapshots of how bacteria lose genes and adapt to increasing host dependence, a new study shows.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
In our first episode, Professor Raquel Peixoto joins Professor Jack Gilbert for a deep dive into coral reefs, microbes, and the future of our planet.
Under The Lens: Raquel Peixoto reveals how tourists armed with probiotics could save world’s coral reefs
A fascinating conversation between Applied Microbiology International President Professor Jack Gilbert and Professor Raquel Peixoto examines how understanding and leveraging coral microbiomes is leading to innovative probiotic solutions to boost coral resilience.
Microbiologists uncover bacteria that remove toxic sulfide and use iron minerals for growth
An international team of scientists has discovered a new microbial metabolism: so-called MISO bacteria “breathe” iron minerals by oxidizing toxic sulfide. The previously unknown biological process sees versatile microbes remove toxic sulfide and use it for their growth.
New study finds concerning sea star response to an algal neurotoxin
Researchers found potentially concerning concentrations of the neurotoxin domoic acid in sea stars even in the absence of the algal blooms that are thought to drive DA outbreaks.
Study exposes sewage contamination locations threatening West Hawai’i coral reefs
New research reveals the extent to which sewage pollution threatens the fragile coral reef ecosystems of West Hawaiʻi Island. Researchers pinpointed locations where high levels of fecal bacteria associated with populated coastal areas are driving worsening contamination.
Unicellular cyanobacterium UCYN-B significantly contributes to global oceanic nitrogen fixation
Researchers report that the cyanobacterium UCYN-B drives high N2 fixation rates in previously unrecognized hotspots accross the global ocean, making a significant contribution to the ocean’s nitrogen supply and productivity.
New study reveals phytoplankton’s contribution to centuries-long ocean carbon storage
Phytoplankton have long been viewed as transient players in the global carbon cycle, but researchers have discovered that these tiny organisms can directly pump “stubborn” carbon into the ocean, where it may persist for centuries.
Tiny creatures, big insights: The microbial signature of the sea uncovered by copepods
A new study has revealed that tiny planktonic crustaceans carry a unique microbial signature that better reflects ocean currents and environmental gradients than microbes found freely in seawater.
Environmental antibiotic resistance unevenly addressed despite growing global risk, study finds
Antibiotic resistance in the environment is a growing and largely overlooked crisis receiving inconsistent attention, according to a new study. Worryingly few studies have explored how antibiotic resistance spreads in the air, oceans or green spaces.
Geobiologist Dr. Ilya Bobrovskiy moves to MARUM with his ERC Starting Grant
Geobiologist Dr. Ilya Bobrovskiy, previously employed at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, is moving to the University of Bremen to establish a research group at MARUM as part of his ERC Starting Grant.
Corals in Brazilian archipelago capture carbon equivalent to the burning of 324,000 liters of gasoline per year
A single species found in the Alcatrazes Archipelago, brain coral, produces around 170 tons of calcium carbonate annually. This represents the retention of approximately 20 tons of carbon in mineral form, which can last for centuries or millennia.
Great Barrier Reef more volatile with sharp declines in coral cover
Hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef has declined substantially from the high levels of recent years back to near long-term average levels, underscoring a new level of volatility.