Insights from the AtlantECO Mission Microbiomes Expedition
The AtlantECO project and its Mission Microbiomes expedition were initiated to investigate the diversity and ecological functions of ocean microbiomes, with a particular focus on their roles in climate regulation and marine ecosystem health. Between 2020 and 2022, the expedition aboard the schooner Tara sampled diverse regions of the South Atlantic Ocean, spanning from the Brazilian coastline to the Southern Ocean and African coasts, using advanced genomic, metagenomic, and bioinformatic techniques. These efforts have shed light on the complexity of marine microbial communities, identifying numerous previously unknown species and uncovering crucial metabolic functions related to carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. Findings demonstrate that microbial communities are highly responsive to variations in temperature, acidity, and nutrient availability, underscoring their potential as indicators of ocean health. The discovery of novel genes and metabolic pathways opens avenues for biotechnological applications, including nutrient processing and carbon sequestration. The data generated by Mission Microbiomes AtlantECO will be made open-access, providing a vital resource for researchers and supporting sustainable innovation in fields ranging from environmental remediation to biomaterials development. This project thus enhances our understanding of microbial ecosystems in the ocean and their genetic potential to adapt to changing environmental conditions.