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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

An Ultra-clean Multilayer Apparatus for Collecting Size Fractionated Marine Plankton and Suspended Particles

An Ultra-clean Multilayer Apparatus for Collecting Size Fractionated Marine Plankton and Suspended Particles

Published on: April 19, 2018

Planktonic Marine Archaea.

Alyson E Santoro¹, R Alexander Richter², Christopher L Dupont²

¹Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA;

Annual Review of Marine Science

|September 14, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Marine archaea are abundant and diverse, comprising four key phylogenetic groups with unique roles. Further research is needed to understand their uncultivated diversity and impact on marine ecosystems.

Keywords:

dark ocean metagenomics nitrification thaumarchaea

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Analyzing Gene Expression from Marine Microbial Communities using Environmental Transcriptomics

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Published on: February 18, 2009

Area of Science:

Marine microbiology
Oceanography
Biogeochemistry

Background:

Archaea are widespread in marine plankton, challenging previous notions of them being rare extremophiles.
Planktonic archaea consist of four distinct phylogenetic groups, each with unique ecological and physiological characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the ecology, physiology, and biogeochemical significance of the four major marine archaeal groups.
To highlight knowledge gaps regarding their roles in marine carbon flow and food webs.
To emphasize the vast uncultivated diversity within these groups.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of recent findings from cultivated representatives, particularly marine Thaumarchaeota.
Analysis of data from large-scale environmental sequencing studies.
Review of existing literature on archaeal ecology and physiology.

Main Results:

Identification of four major phylogenetic groups of planktonic archaea with distinct characteristics.
Demonstration of archaea's ubiquitous presence across diverse marine environments.
Recognition of significant knowledge gaps concerning the ecological functions of many archaeal groups.

Conclusions:

Marine archaea are crucial components of ocean ecosystems, with significant uncultivated diversity.
Cultivation-independent methods are vital for studying these organisms.
Further research is essential to fully elucidate the ecological roles and biogeochemical impacts of marine archaea.