Ocean ecosystems constitute more than 70% of the Earth’s surface area, and these massive watery habitats are home to some of the smallest organisms on the planet.These abundant microscopic organisms influence climate through the production and consumption of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide ( CO2).

Since 1988, the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) program has studied the open ocean waters of the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, one of Earth’s largest ecosystems. More than 25 years of monthly HOT program observations have yielded numerous discoveries on the importance of microorganisms in sustaining Earth’s habitability, including the role these organisms play in the production [……]