Marine Microbial Observatories for the Future: From Samples to Data to Legacy Using Integrated 'Omics Strategies

About the Workshop

How can we maximize current and future opportunities in marine microbial observation? The microbial world, though invisible to the naked eye, is central to human sustenance and the health of our planet, underpinning critical ecosystem services and contributing to climate stability. As we look to the future, omics-powered marine microbial observatories are poised to further increase in importance for understanding the complex dynamics of ocean ecosystems, offering insights that can, inter alia, help track ocean health and biodiversity loss, detect early signals of ecosystem tipping points, support biotechnical innovation, inform sustainable environmental management, and guide marine policy and conservation. However, to fully realize this potential, key aspects of the current observing system must strategically evolve.

Marine Microbial Observatories for the Future: From Samples to Data to Legacy Using Integrated ‘Omics Strategies is a two-day workshop, aimed at laying the groundwork for a lasting legacy of microbial observations in the ocean.

This workshop has been endorsed as an official Activity under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

As part of ongoing international efforts to advance ‘omics-based observing of marine biodiversity, this workshop responds to a growing need to ensure that microbial observations, samples, and data are not only scientifically robust but also sustainable, reusable, and policy-relevant over time.

The workshop brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts in:

• Environmental metagenomics
• Time-series & ship-based ocean observations
• Global coordination networks
• Data users
• Data and sample management
• Policy and governance
• Publishing

Together, we will:

• Identify key challenges in observing marine microbes using ‘omics approaches
• Facilitate the exchange of lessons learned across observing efforts
• Develop strategies and solutions for long-term coordination and impact

An expected outcome of the workshop is a synthesis paper that distills these discussions and outlines a collective vision for the future of microbial ocean observing.

Logistics

Workshop

Tue, 30 Sept - Wed, 01 Oct 2025

Symposium

Thu, 02 Oct 2025

This workshop will be followed by a one-day symposium featuring talks by Adam C. Martiny, Alejandra Prieto-Davó, Kathleen Pitz, Elisha Wood-Charlson, Enrique Montes, Jodie van de Kamp, and Jed Fuhrman (for information on each of them and on all other workshop participants, please see below).

Location

Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB) Im Technologiepark 5, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany https://hifmb.de

Here is a map for you:

Programme

Tuesday, 30 Sept 2025

Wednesday, 01 Oct 2025

Thursday, 02. Oct 2025 (Symposium)

Participants

The current list of participants (in alphabetical order, with flags representing country of residence) includes

Adam C. Martiny

🇺🇸 University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) | learn more

Adam C. Martiny is a Professor at the University of California Irvine in the US. Adam is interested in quantifying how global human-induced environmental changes affect highly-diverse microbial communities in the ocean and how that in turn affects ecosystem functions. Besides his extensive body of work that spans from microbial ecology to ocean biogeochemistry, you may know Adam from his contributions to the Bio-GO-SHIP project. We invited Adam because of his experience in studying marine microbial life and his leadership in Bio-GO-SHIP effort.

Alejandra Prieto-Davó

🇲🇽 National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) | learn more

Alejandra Prieto-Davó is a Professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico. Alejandra is interested in the biotechnological and biosynthetic potential of marine microbes. Besides her extensive body of work that ranges from the antibiotics discovery to environmental restoration strategies, you may know Alejandra from her work with the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Biology and Ecosystems (BioEco) panel on developing the microbial biomass and diversity Essential Ocean Variable (EOV). We invited Alejandra because of her expertise in microbial bioprospecting, her involvement in global coordination through GOOS, and the regional perspective she brings to challenges and solutions for marine microbial observations in Latin America.

Amelia Hine

🇩🇪 Helmholtz Institute for Marine Functional Biodiversity (HIFMB) | learn more

Amelia Hine is a critical resource geographer in the Marine Governance group at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), in Oldenburg, Germany. Amelia is interested in the interplay of power and storytelling in resource and energy futures, with a focus on nonhuman and nonliving agencies and materialities, volumetric geographies, and particulate and chemical knowability. Her current project interrogates how the principle of the common heritage of mankind is practiced in relation to the seabed in international waters. We invited Amelia because of her work on the intersection of power, policy, and marine resource governance, bringing essential social science perspectives to discussions about the long-term sustainability and equitable access of marine observing efforts.

A. Murat Eren (Meren)

🇩🇪 Helmholtz Institute for Marine Functional Biodiversity (HIFMB) | learn more

A. Murat Eren (Meren) is a Professor at the University of Oldenburg in Germany. Meren is a computer scientist and a microbial ecologist who designs algorithms and experiments to better understand the ecology and evolution of naturally occurring microbial populations. Besides Meren’s body of work that ranges from the human microbiome to marine microbial ecology, you may know Meren from his contributions to anvi’o, a modern analysis and visualization platform for ‘omics data. Meren is a part of this workshop as he is looking forward to thinking deeply about the current challenges in continuous observations of marine microbial life with those who bring tremendous amount of experience into this gathering.

Chris Bowler

🇫🇷 Insitut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure (IBENS) | learn more

Chris Bowler is a CNRS Research Director at the Insitut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure in France. Chris is interested in the evolution and ecology of phytoplankton, with a focus on phytogenomics and ancient DNA from diatoms. Besides his extensive body of work ranging from phytoplankton ecology over plant defense mechanisms to climate change impacts, you may know Chris from his leadership in the Tara Oceans project. We invited Chris because of his expertise in marine phytogenomics and his contributions to the global marine microbial sample and data catalogue through TARA.

David Needham

🇩🇪 GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) | learn more

David Needham is a Junior Professor and Helmholtz Young Investigator Group Leader at GEOMAR in Kiel, Germany. David is interested in oceanography, ecology, microbiology, and genomics, as reflected by his extensive body of work. Colleagues from the HIFMB and AWI may know David from his involvement in Topic 6 “Marine Life”, others may know him from his contributions to primer development for amplicon sequencing, or his previous involvement in SPOT and current involvement in ocean time-series in the Northern and Baltic Sea. We invited David for his experience in ocean time-series and in studying marine microbes.

Elisha Wood-Charlson

🇺🇸 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | learn more

Elisha Wood-Charlson is a User Engagement Lead at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US. Elisha is interested in marine microbial and viral ecology, as well as improving data discovery and interoperability. Besides her extensive body of work that ranges from the characterization of viral communities to the introduction of global data portals, you may know Elisha from her contributions to the NMDC and KBase. We invited Elisha because of her insight into data stewardship and her efforts to improve science communication and collaboration.

Enrique Montes

🇺🇸 Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), University of Miami | learn more

Enrique Montes is an Associate Scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), University of Miami, in the US. Enrique is interested in physical and biological controls of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen cycling in the ocean, and how these cycles in turn drive marine ecosystems across time and space. Besides his extensive body of work that spans from eDNA research to seascape biogeography, you may know Enrique from his contributions to the Marine Biodiversity Observatory Network (MBON) Pole to Pole in the Americas initiative and to NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML).

Ioulia Santi

🇬🇷 European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC) | learn more

Ioulia Santi is the Observation, Data and Service Development Officer at the Research Infrastructure EMBRC (European Marine Biological Resource Centre) and a postdoctoral researcher at the Hellenic Center for Marine Research. Ioulia is interested in the structure and composition of microbial communities in the marine environment with an emphasis on microbial planktonic eukaryotes. Besides her body of work that spans from marine microorganisms to ocean observation strategies and data, you may know her from her involvement in the European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON). We invited Ioulia because of her insight into the European Observation landscape.

Jed Fuhrman

🇺🇸 University of Southern California (USC) | learn more

Jed Fuhrman is a Professor at University of Southern California in the US. Jed is interested in roles of microorganisms including viruses, prokaryotes, and protists in natural marine ecosystems and the cycling of matter in the ocean, from the microscopic scale to the global scale. Besides his extensive body of work, that spans from marine ecology to biological oceanography, you may know him from his leadership of the San Pedro Ocean Time-Series (SPOT), his lab’s validation of a set of universal 3-domain primers for microbial community analyses, and recent work from his lab generating the global GRUMP atlas. We invited Jed because of his experience in studying marine microbial life and coordinating the ocean time-series measurements at SPOT.

Jesse McNichol

🇨🇦 St. Francis Xavier University | learn more

Jesse McNichol is a Professor at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada. Jesse is interested in how marine microbes interact with their physical environment and influence global biogeochemical cycles. Besides his published work that spans microbial ecology, oceanography, bioinformatics, and single-cell activity assays, you may know Jesse from his work with SPOT and BioGEOTRACES data, or from his contributions to the GRUMP atlas. We invited Jesse because of his broad expertise in microbial oceanography and his innovative work connecting microbial diversity with ecosystem-scale processes.

Jodie van de Kamp

🇦🇺 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) | learn more

Jodie van de Kamp is a Group Leader at CSIRO in Australia. Her research focuses on using metagenomics and molecular tools to study marine microbial ecology. Besides her extensive body of work that spans from marine microbial ecology to biogeochemistry, you may know Jodie from her contributions to the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), the Australian Microbiome Initiative, and international initiatives like the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON). We invited Jodie because of her contributions to global observing coordination and her role in representing the Australian perspective on omics-based ocean monitoring.

Kathleen (Katie) Pitz

🇺🇸 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) | learn more

Kathleen (Katie) Pitz is a Senior Research Technician at MBARI in the US. Katie is interested in combining molecular and acoustic techniques to study marine ecosystems, with a focus on characterizing microbial and biological diversity in relation to oceanographic processes. Besides her extensive body of work that spans biological oceanography and environmental genomics, you may know Katie from her leadership of the Better Biomolecular Ocean Practices (BeBOP) project and her involvement in OBON. We invited Katie because of her expertise in molecular ecology, her leadership in the BeBOP project, and her contributions to coordinating molecular approaches within the broader ocean observing community.

Luke Thompson

🇺🇸 Northern Gulf Institute (NGI), Mississippi State University | learn more

Luke Thompson is a Research Professor at the Northern Gulf Instutite, a NOAA Cooperative Institute through Mississippi State University, and based in Miami, Florida, USA. Luke is interested in microbial ecology, eDNA and (meta)data stewardship. Besides his extensive body of work that spans from developing computational techniques to exploring microbial communities, you may know Luke from the Earth Microbiome Project (EMP) or his contributions to the Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)’s omics program. We invited Luke because of his expertise in bimolecular observing and contributions to omics data accessibility.

Matthias Wietz

🇩🇪 Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research | learn more

Matthias Wietz is a scientist at Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. Matthias is interested in the ecology and interactions of microbes in polar oceans and sea ice, particularly the seasonal dynamics and drivers of the biological carbon pump. Besides his diverse publications spanning microbial ecology to biological oceanography, you may know him from his contributions to autonomous time-series in the FRAM Observatory as well as science communication, like the first live concert on the North Pole.

Michael (Mike) S. Rappé

🇺🇸 Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology | learn more

Michael (Mike) S. Rappé is a Research Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the US. Mike is interested in exploring the diversity, evolutionary history, ecology, and physiology of marine microbes through microbial cultivation, ocean observations, and ‘omics. Besides Mike’s extensive body of work that explores microbial ecology and evolution in environments ranging from the surface ocean to the deep subseafloor biosphere, you may know Mike from his development of the Kāneʻohe Bay Time-series (KByT). We invited Mike because of his expertise in microbial ecology and insights into integrating field- and lab-based approaches for time-series observations.

Raïssa Meyer

🇩🇪 Helmholtz Institute for Marine Functional Biodiversity (HIFMB) | learn more

Raïssa Meyer is a postdoctoral researcher at the HIFMB in Germany. Raïssa is interested in marine microbial ecology and data interoperability. As part of her work with (meta)data, people, and the systems and standards needed for global ‘omics observing of marine microbes, you may know Raïssa from her contributions to the Omic Biodiversity Observation Network (Omic BON) and the Sustainable DarwinCore MIxS Interoperability TG, or her involvement in OBON and BeBOP. Raïssa is making this workshop happen because she wants to help shape a lasting foundation for marine ‘omics observations and is especially looking forward to learning from and exchanging ideas with everyone we’ve brought together for this conversation.

Samantha (Sam) Setta

🇺🇸 University of Washington | learn more

Samantha (Sam) Setta is a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Washington, working in the Ocean Molecular Ecology (OME) lab in the US. Sam is interested in microbial eukaryotes and in improving the accuracy and reliability of taxonomy assignment in environmental sequencing data. Besides her recent work in biological oceanography, you may know Sam for her involvement in the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) OME group’s work to standardize ‘omics methods across NOAA labs. We invited Sam because of her involvement in ocean observing in PMEL.

Sarah J. Tucker

🇺🇸 Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) | learn more

Sarah J. Tucker is a postdoctoral scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in the US. Sarah is interested in the genomic, metabolic, and physiological diversity of microorganisms and how this diversity impacts ecological interactions and ocean processes. Besides her recent work that utilized time-series analyses to develop indicators of climate change impacts on phytoplankton communities and to delineate ecotypes in the globally abundant marine oligotrophs SAR11 and SAR86, you may know Sarah from her previous role at NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program. We invited Sarah because of her combined expertise in microbial ecology and ocean policy.

Teodor Georgiev

🇧🇬 Pensoft Publishers | learn more

Teodor Georgiev is the Technical Director at Pensoft Publishers in Bulgaria. Teodor is interested in developing digital infrastructure that supports the publication, sharing, and long-term accessibility of scientific research. Besides his extensive body of work on scholarly infrastructure and open science, you may know Teodor from his role in building the ARPHA Writing Tool and streamlining metadata-driven publishing workflows. We invited Teodor to bring the publisher’s perspective and to support efforts in making marine ‘omics data more visible, interoperable, and reusable.

Thomas Stjernegaard-Jeppesen

🇩🇰 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) | learn more

Thomas Stjernegaard-Jeppesen is a Fullstack JavaScript developer at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in Denmark. Thomas is interested in improving the accessibility and interoperability of DNA-derived data through global biodiversity data platforms. His work bridges biodiversity informatics and molecular data publishing, with a focus on enabling the integration of genetic data into systems like GBIF. We invited Thomas to bring expertise from the biodiversity data publishing world and to support alignment between omics communities and global data infrastructures.

Yosmina Tapilatu

🇮🇩 The National Research and Innovation Agency” (PRLD BRIN) | learn more

Yosmina Tapilatu is a Senior Research Scientist at the National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia. Yosmina is interested in marine biodiversity of Maluku Archipelago, ranging from bacteria to invertebrates. Besides her extensive body of work that spans deep-sea ecology and hydrocarbonoclastic prokaryotes, you may know Yosmina from her involvement in regional coordination efforts and in the Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation, as well as from her role as Deep-Ocean Strategy Ambassadors. We invited Yosmina because of her expertise in deep-sea microbial ecology, her involvement in Indonesian observing efforts, and the regional perspective she brings for marine microbial observing in Indonesia.

Contact

For questions contact Raïssa Meyer raissa.meyer@awi.de.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the HIFMB (Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity), the AWI (Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research), and the DynaCom project at the University of Oldenburg for financially supporting this workshop.

This workshop is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity. Use of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development logo by a non-UN entity does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations of such entity, its products or services, or of its planned activities. For more information please access: https://forum.oceandecade.org/page/disclaimer