Marine microbiology is the study of the microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, viruses and microbial eukaryotes) in the marine environment, including their biodiversity, ecology and biogeochemistry. The use of metagenomics has been fundamental in revealing the abundance and composition of marine microbial ecosystems. Marine microbes play many important roles in the Earth system: they influence our climate, are the major primary producers in the ocean, dictate much of the flow of marine energy and nutrients, and provide us with a source of medicines and natural products. Microbes are amazing carbon transformers and play a critical role in shuttling carbon within the ocean food web. By taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, marine microbes also play a critical role in regulating the earth's climate. Marine ecosystems are aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved salt.

Reshma Menon

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