Marine bacteria colonise a sinking nutrient particle and break down the organic material. Recycling of marine snow is a key process in the ocean’s carbon cycle.
Marine bacteria colonise a sinking nutrient particle and break down the organic material. Recycling of marine snow is a key process in the ocean's carbon cycle. A research collaboration led by ETH Zurich and MIT will receive a further USD 15 million from the New York-based Simons Foundation to investigate the behaviour of marine bacteria and microalgae. The research will focus on microbial communities that impact the ocean's carbon cycle. Without microorganisms, higher life forms would not exist. Bacteria and single-celled algae form dynamic communities that drive fundamental ecological processes: they build biomass, break down dead organic matter and recycle the elements of life. "Despite their huge importance, little is known about the nature of microbial communities," says ETH Professor Roman Stocker from the Institute of Environmental Engineering.
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