Marine microbes, tiny, single-celled organisms that live in the ocean, account for more than 98 percent of ocean biomass. Up to a million microorganisms live in just one milliliter of seawater and yet we know surprisingly little about these tiny organisms. Our grantee, Dr. David Karl, a microbial biologist and oceanographer at the University of Hawaii has been studying these organisms for decades and his work has landed him the prestigious International Balzan Prize.
Research professor of geophysics at the Institute of Earth Sciences in Barcelona, Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Enric Banda, says Karl’s prize is in recognition for “his fundamental contributions to the understanding of the role and immense importance of microorganisms in the ocean, and of how microorganisms and phytoplankton control the oceanic carbon, nitrogen and iron cycles, work that has yielded significant insights into global change.” Read more about Dr. Karl’s work here and our Marine Microbiology Initiative.
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