“If you really want to study evolution, you’ve got go outside sometime, because you’ll see symbiosis everywhere!
LYNN MARGULIS
Welcome!
We are the Marine Symbiomes Research Group.
Basic science is at the heart of our work. We test hypotheses at the intersection of microbial ecology, biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology to uncover the mechanisms by which host-microbe interactions stimulate diversity and ecosystem functioning in the marine environment.
We chose the term “symbiome”, defined as a complex biotic community in which distinctive metaorganisms (consisting of an host and a community of associated microorganisms) are connected through symbiotic interactions that may range from loose to intimate. The symbiome is maintained in a climax state under the environmental conditions of it habitat.
We demonstrate the importance of diazotrophs in sustaining primary productivity of the invasive marine plant Halophila stipulacea.
Using omics and stable isotopes, we show that the sulfur-oxidizing symbionts of invertebrate animals are also capable of nitrogen fixation.
A photo I have taken of sand bubbler crabs has been selected within the BMC Ecology Image Competition 2016 out of over 140 total entries.