The Marine Microbiome

This updated and expanded second edition reviews numerous aspects of the marine microbiome and its possible industrial applications. The marine microbiome is the total of microorganisms and viruses in the ocean and seas and in any connected environment, including the seafloor and marine animals and plants.

In the first part of the book, diversity, origin and evolution of the marine microorganisms and viruses are discussed. The microbes presented originate from all three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. The second part sheds some light on the different communities: it describes marine habitats and how their inhabitants control biogeochemical cycles. The third part finally examines the microbial ocean as a global system and evaluates methods of utilizing marine microbial resources.

Adopting a translational approach, the book connects academic research with industrial applications, making it a fascinating read and valuable resource for microbiologists from both domains.

Prof. Dr. Lucas J. Stal is a marine microbiologist and retired in 2018 as a professor of the University of Amsterdam and senior scientist of the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. He is known for his research on marine cyanobacteria and nitrogen fixation. He investigated cyanobacterial blooms as well as marine microbial mats and intertidal diatom communities.  

Dr. Mariana Silvia Cretoiu received her education in medical microbiology and microbial ecology at the University of Bucharest (Romania) and specialized in (marine) molecular microbial systems ecology and bioinformatics. She received her PhD from University of Groningen (The Netherlands) searching for novel bacterial chitinases using metagenomics. After, she continued to work on the composition and functionality of freshwater and marine microbiomes and their associated viruses. She is currently working in the private sector applying microbiomes for commercial purposes and is affiliated to the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands).