Microbial Oceanography
Epithemia diatoms. Differential interference contrast light micrograph of a number of different diatoms. Diatoms are single-celled photosynthetic algae, of which there are about 100,000 species. They have mineralised cell walls (frustules) that contain silica and provide protection and support. They form an important part of the plankton at the base of the marine and freshwater food chains. Diatoms are divided into two groups, the radially symmetrical Centrales, or centric, diatoms and the rod-like Pennales, or pennate, diatoms. Magnification: x160, when printed 10 centimetres wide.
Supports the Simons Collaboration on Computational Biogeochemical Modeling of Marine Ecosystems and other programs
Microbes sustain all of Earth’s habitats, including its largest biome, the global ocean. Microbes in the sea capture solar energy, catalyze biogeochemical transformations of important elements, produce and consume greenhouse gases, and fuel the marine food web. Measuring and modeling the distribution, composition and function of microbial communities, and their interactions with the environment, are key to understanding these fundamental processes in the ocean.
