Revealing the role of diverse bacteria in ocean productivity

Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce over half the world’s oxygen thanks to tiny photosynthesizing algae floating at the surface. Like on land, nitrogen is a nutrient that all ocean life needs to grow. Bacteria can act as natural fertilizers by converting atmospheric nitrogen into more usable forms, a process known as nitrogen fixation, for marine organisms to use. Recent studies have revealed a greater diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria than predicted by previous models, even some that have taken permanent residence in marine algae to become full-fledged “nitroplast” structures within algal cells. Ellen Yeh, an associate professor of pathology and of microbiology and immunology in the School of Medicine, and team will apply new molecular technologies to investigate the interaction between a nitrogen-fixing bacteria and its photosynthetic algal host, and how that interaction affects marine productivity in Hawaii. This work will inform climate modeling, marine ecosystem resilience, and potential biotechnologies.

This project received additional funding through the Environmental Ventures Project program. Learn more about the Woods Institute's research funding programs.