Unraveling the Complexity of Oceans: Modelling Marine Microbes for Climate Forecasts

Understanding how marine microbes are affected by the climate crisis is crucial for forecasting the future state of the oceans and mitigating its effects on marine ecosystems and human communities. However, there is currently little confidence in predictions of how marine microbes will react to climate change. Researchers in marine microbiology, physiology, biogeochemistry, and modeling need to collaborate to better observe, understand, and model microbial processes. Current biogeochemical models have limitations in representing the complexity of marine ecosystems, and new approaches that combine biological information, statistical techniques, and mechanistic metabolic modeling are needed to improve accuracy and confidence in climate forecasts. Interdisciplinary science and international collaborations are essential to address the impacts of climate change on marine microbial ecosystems.