About the Workshop
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.
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
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
TBD
Participants
The current list of participants (in alphabetical order, with flags representing country of residence) includes
- 🇺🇸 Adam Martini University of California, Irvine
- 🇲🇽 Alejandra Prieto-Davó National Autonomous University of Mexico
- 🇫🇷 Chris Bowler Insitut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure (IBENS)
- 🇩🇪 David Needham GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)
- 🇺🇸 Elisha Wood-Charlson Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- 🇺🇸 Enrique Montes U. Miami Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)
- 🇬🇷 Ioulia Santi European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC)
- 🇺🇸 Jed Fuhrman University of Southern California (USC)
- 🇨🇦 Jesse McNichol St. Francis Xavier University
- 🇦🇺 Jodie van de Kamp Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- 🇬🇧 Julie Robidart National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
- 🇺🇸 Katie Pitz Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
- 🇺🇸 Luke Thompson Mississippi State University
- 🇩🇪 Meren Helmholtz Insitute for Marine Functional Biodiversity (HIFMB)
- 🇺🇸 Michael S. Rappé Hawaiʻi Marine Biology Institute
- 🇺🇸 Samantha Setta University of Washington, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies (UW/CICOES)
- 🇺🇸 Sarah Tucker Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL)
- 🇧🇬 Teodor Georgiev Pensoft Publishers
- 🇩🇰 Thomas Stjernegaard-Jeppesen Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- 🇩🇰 Tobias Guldberg Frøslev Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- 🇮🇩 Yosmina Tapilatu Indonesian Institute of Sciences
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) and the AWI (Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research) for funding this workshop.