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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
Published on: January 31, 2025
Environmental science. Rethinking the marine carbon cycle: factoring in the multifarious lifestyles of microbes
Alexandra Z Worden1, Michael J Follows2, Stephen J Giovannoni3
1Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA. Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. Integrated Microbial Biodiversity Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8, Canada. azworden@mbari.org.
Abstract:
The profound influence of marine plankton on the global carbon cycle has been recognized for decades, particularly for photosynthetic microbes that form the base of ocean food chains. However, a comprehensive model of the carbon cycle is challenged by unicellular eukaryotes (protists) having evolved complex behavioral strategies and organismal interactions that extend far beyond photosynthetic lifestyles. As is also true for multicellular eukaryotes, these strategies and their associated physiological changes are difficult to deduce from genome sequences or gene repertoires—a problem compounded by numerous unknown function proteins. Here, we explore protistan trophic modes in marine food webs and broader biogeochemical influences. We also evaluate approaches that could resolve their activities, link them to biotic and abiotic factors, and integrate them into an ecosystems biology framework.
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