Northern aquatic microbiomes faced with rapid environmental change.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Microorganisms are a diverse and important component of aquatic ecosystems. My research program investigates the biodiversity, metabolic versatility, and evolution of these important aquatic microbes using novel genomics-based molecular approaches. Aquatic ecosystems under investigation include northern oceans, estuaries, and most recently, seasonally ice-covered northern lakes. All these ecosystems are impacted by climate change and other anthropogenic perturbations to varying degrees. My research program is coordinated to provide insights into how microbial distributions and activities may be influenced by these environmental pressures and the long-term objective is to develop a predictive understanding of how microorganisms respond to environmental variability in aquatic ecosystems. Previously, we employed advanced genomics approaches to discover and describe important carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling metabolic pathways in coastal and estuarine marine systems.