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What is so Special About Marine Microorganisms? Introduction to the Marine Microbiome—From Diversity to Biotechnological Potential

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The Marine Microbiome

Abstract

Marine microscopic life varies from single-celled organisms, simple multicellular, to symbiotic microorganisms encompassing all three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya as well as biologically active entities such as viruses and viroids. Together they form the Ocean’s “microbiome”. Over billions of years of evolution this microbiome developed a plethora of adaptations and lifestyles and participates in the fluxes of virtually all chemical elements. The importance of the marine microbiome for human society and for the functioning of our living planet is not disputed. In this introductory chapter we bring to your attention some of the most important features of the marine microbiome and try to answer the question what distinguishes it from other microbial systems. Our main goal is to urge the reader to find more information about the taxonomic and functional diversity by exploring the specific chapters.

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Acknowledgments

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 311975. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands

    Henk Bolhuis & Mariana Silvia Cretoiu

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  1. Henk Bolhuis
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  2. Mariana Silvia Cretoiu
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Correspondence to Henk Bolhuis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Neth. Inst. f. Sea Res., University of Amsterdam, Yerseke, The Netherlands

    Lucas J. Stal

  2. Royal Neth. Inst. f. Sea Research, University of Amsterdam, Yerseke, The Netherlands

    Mariana Silvia Cretoiu

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Bolhuis, H., Cretoiu, M.S. (2016). What is so Special About Marine Microorganisms? Introduction to the Marine Microbiome—From Diversity to Biotechnological Potential. In: Stal, L., Cretoiu, M. (eds) The Marine Microbiome. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33000-6_1

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