ONU virtual training course “Marine Microbiology”
The course introduces the role of microbes in the marine environment. The methods used in marine microbiology are presented, the diversity of bacteria and archaea, the main properties and activities of marine eukaryotic microbes, the importance of viruses that infect marine bacteria and protists, the influence of viruses on population structures and processes in the ocean, the importance of microbes in nutrient cycling and biogeochemical cycles. Also, it describes the importance of pollution-introduced bacteria and viruses in human disease, microbial disease of marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates, respectively, the close relationship between disease and environmental change, and the economic importance of controlling the disease in aquaculture.
Emphasis is placed on marine microbial biotechnology, which holds great promise for mitigating environmental damage and developing new products and processes to sustainably exploit the vast economic potential of marine molecular biodiversity for future blue biotechnology industry and human benefit.