AORA ATLANTIC OCEAN RESEARCH ALLIANCE

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AORA

ATLANTIC OCEAN RESEARCH ALLIANCE Marine Microbiome - a hidden treasure for human society

INTRODUCTION

Our new capacities to explore marine microbiomes have ushered in a new and exciting era of ocean discovery that will shape human endeavours for decades to come. This new wave of exploration has already revealed how microscopic life - permeating the entire ocean - impacts almost every aspect of our own. It has also shown that we’re only scratching the surface of the fascinating realm of marine microbes. To better guide society’s future, we must deepen our understanding of the marine microbiomes throughout the oceans, using novel technologies to advise policies fostering truly sustainable marine development. Early research has revealed that the marine microbiome is the beating heart of the living ocean: it drives its nutrient and biogeochemical cycles, forms the basis of its food webs, performs essential functions in climate regulation, and can mitigate the impacts of pollution. At the same time, it can also be a source of biological threats including toxic algal blooms, antibiotic resistance, and oxygen depletion. Greater understanding of the marine microbiome will help us better predict and manage our oceans, while exploring a largely untapped resource for biodiscovery and the bioeconomy.

A microbiome is the collection of all microbes - including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and other microscopic eukaryotes - that have settled in an environment. Microbiomes can be composed of both free floating microbes or those living on surfaces, including other organisms. The “marine microbiome” is the sum of all microbiomes across the marine realm. The AORA Marine Microbiome Roadmap is the result of an international cooperative effort between the United States, Canada, and the European Union produced within the AORA framework. The Roadmap is aligned to the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation, showing how an alliance between science, industry and policy makers will advance the “Next Great Exploration of the Oceans”.

ROADMAP

Full report Efficiently maturing multi-sector competence in microbiome research and application, it is essential that governments, academia, and industry cooperate and align their strengths, objectives, and incentives to meet shared goals. To this end, AORA scientists and policymakers have developed a high-level Roadmap to help advance a coherent, Atlantic-wide approach to microbiome research and monitoring to: A facilitate cooperation along and across the Atlantic, B increase the visibility of marine microbiome research and applications, and C promote a healthy ocean and sustainable bioeconomy. The Roadmap identifies three thematic pillars: Environment and Climate, the Food Value Chain and Biodiscovery. All three are tightly integrated and complemented by underlying cross-cutting themes to promote concerted action.

The Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Coopeeration between the European Union, Canada and the United States of America


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