This book describes the state-of-the-artconcerning the ‘marine microbiome’ and its uses in biotechnology. The firstpart discusses the diversity and ecology of marine microorganisms and viruses,including all three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Itdiscusses whether marine microorganisms exist and, if so, why they might be unique.The second part presents selected marine habitats, their inhabitants and howthey influence biogeochemical cycles, while the third discusses the utilizationof marine microbial resources, including legal aspects, dissemination, andpublic awareness.
The marine microbiome is the total ofmicroorganisms and viruses in the ocean and seas and in any connectedenvironment, including the seafloor and marine animals and plants. Thediversity of microbial life remains unquantified and largely unknown, and couldrepresent a hidden treasure for human society. Accordingly, this book is also intendedto connect academics and industry, providing essential information for microbiologistsfrom both fields.