The Role of Bacteria in the World
By: Sami Thomas
Coccolithophores
Why is this "war" so important? When coccolithophores die, they shed their chalky discs. As more and more coccolithophores in an area die, they result in white clouds that can be seen from space. Satellites can see white plumes at any time of day in parts of the ocean. The white clouds of dust settle and compile to make geological structures, like the White Cliffs of Dover in the UK. As phytoplankton die and more grow in the empty space left by the dead, that gulp up carbon dioxide and spit out oxygen. That oxygen they spit out makes up for half of the oxygen we use day to day.
Prochlorococcus
Why is it important in this ecosystem? Prochlorococcus consume carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is therefore extremely important in terms of reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. An estimated 1 out of every 5 breaths of oxygen you take in come from these Prochlorococcus. They are also the base of the food chain in the ocean, so it is consumed by larger organisms, so if we want to understand higher organisms, we have to understand the base of their food chain.
Alcanivorax
Why is it important in this ecosystem? They rely on oil to provide it with energy. By sequencing the genome of these oil-eating microbes, scientists plan to harness its power to aid in the cleaning up of future oil spills. When conditions in these polluted environments are right, alcanivorax can make up 80 to 90 percent of the oil-degrading microbes present in that area. Microbes like these provide a major route to the breakdown of pollutants and demonstrate how marine bacteria keep the environments in check.