Ocean Microbiology – Transforming the Planet

Ambience, ocean
They are the most abundant life forms on our planet and they control the dynamics of our world, from the surface of the earth to the depths of the ocean. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Edwards: Microbes inhabit simply every single corner of our Earth. In fact, we have a hard time defining where they are not.

Katrina Edwards, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Southern California.

Edwards: And what I like to look at is how microbes control alteration of oceanic rocks. So, the alteration of rocks on our planets is also one of the major contributors to the biogeochemical cycles, including the iron cycle, the carbon cycle, the sulfur cycle, and it just goes on and on. And that’s one realm where they really play a role, and we don’t know very much about how they do it, at what rates they do it, and what the consequences are for thow the Earth system operates as a whole.
Of course we all know that if you don’t brush your teeth, or even if you do, you sometimes get cavities. These are caused by microbes that are drilling into and eating your teeth. At the bottom of the ocean, where we have, essentially, the molars of the world exposed along these mid-ocean ridge spreading centers and the ridge flanks, microbes are doing the exact same thing. They’re transforming that basaltic rock that makes up 70 percent of the ocean of the planet, and they’re transforming it into something else.: Rust and sulfur minerals, manganese minerals and all sorts of different materials. So, they’re actually making material exchanges and exchanging elements at the same time. And so, that’s why it influences the biogeochemical cycles, and that’s really what I’m trying to understand.

Pulse of the Planet is made possible in part by the National Science Foundation and Virginia Tech, inventing the future through a hands-on approach to education and research.

Ocean Microbiology - Transforming the Planet

The most abundant life forms on earth control the dynamics of our world, from the surface to the depths of the ocean.

Air Date:10/14/2016

Scientist:

Transcript:

Ocean Microbiology - Transforming the Planet

Ambience, ocean
They are the most abundant life forms on our planet and they control the dynamics of our world, from the surface of the earth to the depths of the ocean. I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Edwards: Microbes inhabit simply every single corner of our Earth. In fact, we have a hard time defining where they are not.

Katrina Edwards, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Southern California.

Edwards: And what I like to look at is how microbes control alteration of oceanic rocks. So, the alteration of rocks on our planets is also one of the major contributors to the biogeochemical cycles, including the iron cycle, the carbon cycle, the sulfur cycle, and it just goes on and on. And that's one realm where they really play a role, and we don't know very much about how they do it, at what rates they do it, and what the consequences are for thow the Earth system operates as a whole.
Of course we all know that if you don't brush your teeth, or even if you do, you sometimes get cavities. These are caused by microbes that are drilling into and eating your teeth. At the bottom of the ocean, where we have, essentially, the molars of the world exposed along these mid-ocean ridge spreading centers and the ridge flanks, microbes are doing the exact same thing. They're transforming that basaltic rock that makes up 70 percent of the ocean of the planet, and they're transforming it into something else.: Rust and sulfur minerals, manganese minerals and all sorts of different materials. So, they're actually making material exchanges and exchanging elements at the same time. And so, that's why it influences the biogeochemical cycles, and that's really what I'm trying to understand.

Pulse of the Planet is made possible in part by the National Science Foundation and Virginia Tech, inventing the future through a hands-on approach to education and research.