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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
Published on: November 5, 2014
Microbial oceanography and the Hawaii Ocean Time-series programme
David M Karl1, Matthew J Church1
1Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, University of Hawaii, 1950 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA.
Abstract:
The Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) programme has been tracking microbial and biogeochemical processes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre since October 1988. The near-monthly time series observations have revealed previously undocumented phenomena within a temporally dynamic ecosystem that is vulnerable to climate change. Novel microorganisms, genes and unexpected metabolic pathways have been discovered and are being integrated into our evolving ecological paradigms. Continued research, including higher-frequency observations and at-sea experimentation, will help to provide a comprehensive scientific understanding of microbial processes in the largest biome on Earth.
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