Social networking in a changing ocean: Microbial-scale ecological interactions control ocean-scale chemistry

海洋的功能由微生物控制，包括细菌和浮游植物。海洋学家通常考虑这些微生物在大海洋尺度上的生态，但它们的活动和相互作用是在单个细胞的尺度上定义的。这项研究将通过耦合新的生理和分子工具来解决细菌和浮游植物之间的微观生态联系，并将确定这些群体之间的化学相互作用在不断变化的环境条件下如何变化，从而重新定义我们对重要海洋微生物过程的知识。这对于改变我们对控制我们重要海洋生态系统健康和功能的因素的理解具有重要意义。

The function of the ocean is governed by microscopic organisms, including bacteria and phytoplankton. Oceanographers typically consider the ecology of these microbes across large ocean-scales, but their activities and interactions are defined at the scale of individual cells. This research will redefine our knowledge of important marine microbial processes by coupling novel physiological and molecular tools to resolve the microscale ecological links between bacteria and phytoplankton, and will identify how the chemical interactions between these groups change under shifting environmental conditions. This has significance for transforming our understanding of the factors that control the health and function of our important ocean ecosystems.