Studying microbial plankton: effects of environmental gradients and its role in the biogeochemical cycles in the Ocean.

The Ecology of Marine Microorganisms Research group, based at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC, Barcelona), integrates scientists from different disciplines and research topics that use complementary methods to address the ecological and functional role of marine microorganisms at different resolutions from communities to species or ecotypes.

Our current interests are summarized in the following research lines:

Biodiversity and biogeography
Microbial Activities: From Single Cells to Biogeochemical Cycles
Genes and Genomes: Function and Evolution

The group is located at the (sometimes) beautiful Somorrostro beach, in Barcelona, at the ICM-CSIC.

Recent Publications

Ulises Lora, Luca Schenone, Irene Forn, Francesc Peters, Jonna Piiparinen, Hermanni Kaartokallio, Maiju Lehtiniemi, Maria Montserrat Sala (2024). Weak effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on marine microbial communities. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11,

Aleix Obiol, Javier del Campo, Colomban De Vargas, Frédéric Mahé, Ramon Massana (2024). How marine are Marine Stramenopiles (MAST)? A cross-system evaluation. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 100, fiae130.

Encarna Borrull, Mireia Mestre, Cèlia Marrasé, Josep M. Gasol, Maria Montserrat Sala (2024). Patterns of prokaryotic activity along the marine planktonic matter continuum. Science of The Total Environment, 946, 173921.

Marina Vila-Nistal, Ramiro Logares, Josep M. Gasol, Manuel Martinez-Garcia (2024). Time Series Data Provide Insights into the Evolution and Abundance of One of the Most Abundant Viruses in the Marine Virosphere: The Uncultured Pelagiphages vSAG 37-F6. Viruses, 16, 1669.

Carlota R. Gazulla, Michal Koblížek, Jesús M. Mercado, Josep M. Gasol, Olga Sánchez, Isabel Ferrera (2024). Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria correlate with picophytoplankton across the Atlantic Ocean but show unique vertical bioenergetics. Limnology and Oceanography, lno.12682.