Great Barrier Reef microbiome map reveals more than 500 new bacterial species
A comprehensive study of the Great Barrier Reef's microbiome has identified over 500 new bacterial species and 300,000 distinct viruses. This research provides a foundational database for scientists to monitor reef health and resilience against environmental stressors.
Why it matters
Mapping the microbial life of the reef is essential for understanding how these ecosystems respond to climate change, bleaching, and other environmental threats.
by Australian Institute of Marine Science
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Seawater sampling on the Great Barrier Reef. Credit: AIMS | Neal Cantin In 2012, Nature revealed that humans provide a home to thousands of different species of microbes in a series of papers that opened a path to understanding the impact of the human microbiome on our health.
Today, a paper in Nature documents more than 800,000 microbial genomes, identifying more than 500 new bacterial species and more than 300,000 distinct viruses in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
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