Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Marine Microbial Ecology

Marine Microbial Ecology

Marine microbial ecosystems are shaped by distinct physicochemical limits, including high salinity, low nutrient availability, and fluctuating oxygen levels. These conditions favor smaller microbial cell sizes, which maximize their surface-to-volume ratio for efficient nutrient uptake.Microbial activity and community composition are closely linked to biogeochemical cycles, particularly in dynamic environments like estuaries, where halotolerant microbes thrive in response to variable salinity...

Microbes and Climate Change

Microbes and Climate Change

Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...

Freshwater Microbial Ecology

Freshwater Microbial Ecology

Freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes exhibit distinct physical and biological characteristics that influence their microbial communities. These environments are broadly categorized into lotic systems—those with flowing waters like streams and most rivers—and lentic systems, which include still or slow-moving waters such as lakes, ponds, and marshes.In lentic systems, phytoplankton drive primary production, generating autochthonous organic carbon. In contrast, lotic systems...

Primary Production

Primary Production

The total amount of energy acquired by primary producers in an ecosystem is called gross primary production (GPP). However, of this energy, producers use some for metabolic processes, and some is lost as heat, decreasing the amount of energy available to the next trophic level. The remaining usable amount of energy is called the net primary productivity (NPP). In terrestrial ecosystems, NPP is driven by climate, while light penetration and nutrient availability drive NPP in aquatic ecosystems.

What is an Ecosystem?

What is an Ecosystem?

Deep Sea Microbial Ecology

Deep Sea Microbial Ecology

The deep ocean and its underlying sediments represent vast, largely unexplored microbial habitats that extend far beyond the sunlit photic zone. The photic (euphotic) zone typically spans the upper ~100–200 meters of pelagic waters in the open ocean, but its depth varies geographically and seasonally, where sufficient light supports photosynthetic life. Below this lies the deep sea, spanning roughly 1000–6000 meters (bathypelagic to abyssal zones), with deeper hadal trenches extending beyond...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Oxygen Minimum Zone and Organic Carbon Structure Benthic Prokaryotic Communities and Metabolism in Warm Deep-Red Sea Sediments.

Microorganisms·2026

Same author

A global map of seagrass ecosystems.

Nature·2026

Same author

Physical-chemical gradients, CO<sub>2</sub> venting dynamics and microbial community composition in a shallow Mediterranean CO<sub>2</sub>-rich hydrothermal system.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Diversity and community structure of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria are shaped by the deep chlorophyll maximum.

ISME communications·2026

Same author

Polyp size predicts metabolic rates across diverse tropical coral species.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

Microbial Responses to Warming Reduce Deep Blue Carbon Storage.

Global change biology·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands

Published on: January 31, 2025

Tipping elements in the Arctic marine ecosystem.

Carlos M Duarte¹, Susana Agustí, Paul Wassmann

¹IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Spain. carlosduarte@imedea.uib-csic.es

|January 25, 2012

Summary

Arctic sea ice is rapidly declining due to climate change, nearing a critical tipping point. This loss threatens the entire Arctic marine ecosystem, potentially triggering cascading changes.

More Related Videos

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (L.I.F.E.) as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (L.I.F.E.) as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats

Published on: October 26, 2019

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands

Published on: January 31, 2025

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (L.I.F.E.) as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (L.I.F.E.) as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats

Published on: October 26, 2019

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

Area of Science:

Arctic marine ecology
Climate change science
Oceanography

Background:

The Arctic marine ecosystem exhibits alternative stable states, exemplified by the contrast between an ice-covered and ice-free Arctic Ocean.
Ecosystems under pressure often transition abruptly between states at critical thresholds, known as tipping points.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the accelerating loss of Arctic sea ice as an indicator of an approaching tipping point.
To explore the potential cascading effects of reduced Arctic ice extent on the broader marine ecosystem.

Main Methods:

Analysis of sea ice extent and variance as indicators of ecosystem stability.
Conceptual framework for understanding tipping points in Arctic ecosystems.

Main Results:

Accelerated loss of Arctic sea ice is observed, with increased variance suggesting proximity to a tipping point.
Reduced ice extent is a precursor to triggering additional physical, chemical, and biological tipping elements.

Conclusions:

The Arctic marine ecosystem is approaching a critical tipping point due to anthropogenic climate change.
The loss of sea ice is poised to initiate significant, potentially irreversible, changes across the Arctic marine environment.