ABSTRACT

Better understanding will come from improved knowledge of the rates of primary production in different size classes and taxonomic groups of phytoplankton, and from better quantification of the activities of heterotrophic microbes in the remineralization of organic matter and its sequestration in the deep ocean. The study of marine viruses has revolutionized our understanding of the importance of viral infection of cells on the creation and dissemination of new genetic information—a major driver in the generation of diversity and selection processes of evolution. The many wondrous examples of symbiotic partnerships between microbes and marine animals have revealed the mechanisms of coevolution over hundreds of millions of years. Large-scale direct application of marine microbial biotechnology in the ocean setting could play a major role in ensuring new sources of energy and sustainable aquaculture to feed the world’s growing population. New initiatives in bioremediation, geoengineering, and methods to control marine diseases and conserve organisms and ecosystems.