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Since 2007-04-01

Marine micro-organisms, including micro-algae, bacteria, protozoa and viruses, form complex communities within the water column and sea-bed of coastal and oceanic environments. Micro-organisms encompass a wide metabolic and physiological diversity and exhibit very fast growth rates; they therefore play a fundamental role in the transfer of energy through marine ecosystems and in the cycling of biogeochemically important elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, through the Earth system. Understanding the structure and function of these microbial ecosystems, and their role in global biogeochemical cycles, is a central aim of marine microbiologists and biological oceanographers. Research within the Microbial and Molecular Biology department at SAMS examines the fundamental ecological and biogeochemical role of marine micro-organisms via the projects outlined below.

Protozoan selective feeding.

Within the microbial food web, selective feeding of protoxoans on different phytoplankton and bacteria is increasingly recognised as an important process. Along with scientists from the UK, Germany, Austria, Mexico Portugal and Czech republic Keith Davidson of SAMS participated in a workshop at the recent SAME10 conference. The outcome of this worksop and subseuqent analysis of the topic has resulted in a review paper in Aquatic Microbial Ecology, which is available through this link. 

Research Cruise to the Celtic Sea July 2008: Pelagic and benthic biogeochemical process response to
spatial variability in topographically controlled mixing in Shelf Seas

Durign July A team of 26 scientists, technicians and engineers including ten scientists from SAMS as well as staff from Proudman Oceaographic Laboratory, the University of Aberdeen, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Napier University conducted a research cruise aboard the Royal Research Ship James Cook in the Celtic Sea to the South West of the UK. Read the cruise blog here.

Mesocosm studies of inorganic and organic nutrients
A particular recent focus has been the use of mesocosms to study the role of inorganic (N and Si)
and organic (DOC/DON) nutrients on community dynamics and response.

For more information on this topic click here.

Laboratory studies of protozoan nutrient regeneration
The recycling of N is an important and poorly quantified aspect for the microbial loop.
Recent laboratory studies at SAMS have attempted to study and model this process

For more information on this topic click here

Coastal nutrient studies
The role of dissolved organic matter in coastal marine food webs is currently being studied by two PhD students at SAMS.

Romain Pete (Supervisors Davidson, Leakey & Miller) recently complted his PhD investigating the temporal changes in dissolved organic matter in a Scottish west coast fjord and, through process study experiments, its role in governing microbial community production and interactions. For more information on this topic click here.

Christian Lonborg (Supervisors Davidson, Miller & Álvarez-Salgado (IIM-Vigo)) is investigating long time scale degradation of DOM at sites in Scottish Fjords and Spanish Rias.