The Oceanic Microbial Observatory is a collaborative project between Dr. Craig Carlson of the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Dr. Stephen Giovannoni of Oregon State University (OSU) sponsored by the National Science Foundation Microbial Observatory program.

Microorganisms in the ocean surface layer play an integral role in the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean. The global dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool is estimated to be approximately 700 Pg C, a value comparable to the mass of inorganic C in the atmosphere. Small perturbations in the metabolism of DOC by microorganisms could strongly impact the balance between oceanic and atmospheric CO2. Thus, the microbial processes that determine DOC production, consumption and distribution in the oceans are important to the global carbon cycle.

Above is an example of temporal and spatial dynamics of bacterioplankton groups in the upper 300 m of BATS in the year 2003. See more contour plots.

The goal of this microbial observatory project is to understand the cell biology and biogeochemical activities of the major bacterioplankton groups - SAR11, SAR86, SAR202 and SAR116, marine actinobacteria, SAR324, and SAR406, by applying new high throughput technologies for cell culturing, and studying the metabolism of these organisms in nature and their interactions with organic matter in the oceans. This effort is focused on the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site, a subtropical gyre characterized by winter time convective overturn, spring phytoplankton blooms, and regular patterns of DOC cycling.