DNA from the deep reveals stunning diversity of invisible life in Australia’s oceans

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In a new paper published today in the Nature journal Scientific Data scientists from 18 Australian universities and research institutes have come together to reveal the diversity and dynamics of the unseen microbial multitudes that keep our oceans healthy. 

Life in the oceans evokes spectacular images of colourful coral reefs, dolphins at play and majestic creatures of the deep. However, far more numerous than visible sea life, millions of vastly diverse microbes reside in every litre of seawater and dominate ocean ecosystems from the tropics to the poles and from the surface to the deepest realms. Researchers studying ocean life that is invisible to the naked eye say “charismatic megafauna” such as fish and marine mammals are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ocean’s biodiversity.