Microbial ecology of ocean biogeochemistry: a community perspective

The oceans harbor a tremendous diversity of marine microbes. Different functional groups of bacteria, archaea, and protists arise from this diversity to dominate various habitats and drive globally important biogeochemical cycles. Explanations for the distribution of microbial taxa and their associated activity often focus on resource availability and abiotic conditions. However, the continual reshaping of communities by mortality, allelopathy, symbiosis, and other processes shows that community interactions exert strong selective pressure on marine microbes. Deeper exploration of microbial interactions is now possible via molecular prospecting and taxon-specific experimental approaches. A holistic outlook that encompasses the full array of selective pressures on individuals will help elucidate the maintenance of microbial diversity and the regulation of biogeochemical reactions by planktonic communities.     

Ecology. California algae may be feared European species

A volleyball-court-sized patch of bright green algae in a San Diego lagoon has set off alarm bells among ecologists and officials. Scientists strongly suspect that the algae, Caulerpa taxifolia, is the same fast-growing, non-native clone that has swept over the northwestern Mediterranean sea floor in the past decade with devastating ecological consequences. A consortium of agencies and private groups has cordoned off the lagoon and is laying plans to poison the seaweed, marking the first major U.S. attempt to stop an incipient marine species invasion.     

Marine ecology. Warmer waters more deadly to coral reefs than pollution

Contrary to conventional wisdom, warmer ocean waters are a greater threat to coral reefs than local environmental insults. That assessment comes from a new scientific report released this week that documents a sudden and steep jump in damage stemming from the 1997-98 El Ni?o-La Ni?a event.