Background
Microbes dominate our planet, especially our oceans. The distinguishing feature of microorganisms is their small size, usually defined as less than 100 micrometers (µm); they are all invisible to the naked eye. The similarity may end there. As a group, sea microbes are extremely diverse taxonomically, and extremely versatile with respect to their metabolic capabilities.
The study of aquatic organisms at the molecular level is a mainstay of modern biological oceanography. Numerous diagnostic procedures exist for identifying marine organisms and their genes and gene products, and for elucidating the roles they play in biogeochemical cycles. The disparity between our capacity to measure physical and chemical oceanographic parameters versus our ability to understand the distribution, abundance and activities of specific microorganisms within that milieu impedes our ability to characterize a wide range of biological phenomena.
Microbiology Activities | Back to top
 |
The Good, the Bad, and the BountifulThis lesson uses a dramatization game to provide an introduction to microbes—what they are, what they do, where they are found and how they affect humans. |
 |
Microbes and ClimateThis activity is meant to provide students with an understanding of how microbes play a role in the climate system, from the formation of the atmosphere to current climate dynamics to the role of microbes in climate change. |
 |
Predicting GrowthThis lab is designed to give students a “hands-on” experience to help answer the question: How can you determine where in your environment you might find microorganisms? |
Microbiology in the news | Back to top
Nature News: (05/28/08)
Marine microbiology: Origins of Death
Discovery News: (04/18/08)
Algae-Bot Scouts for Toxic Blooms
Nature Reports: (03/12/08)
Nitrogen cycle: Out of reach
MIT News : (03/03/08)
Team probes mysteries of oceanic bacteria
BBC News: (06/22/07)
Icebergs are ‘ecological hotspot’
Microbiology Resources | Back to top
Astrobiology
- NASA Astrobiology—http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/
- Micro*scope – online encyclopedia of life for microbes—http://starcentral.mbl.edu/microscope/portal.php
- Astrobiology in secondary classrooms—http://www.astroclassroom.org/New-Pages/Home.html
- Microbes at NASA—http://microbes.arc.nasa.gov/
- Microbe webquest—http://microbes.arc.nasa.gov/educators/webquest.html
Genetics
- Gene detection techniques—http://www.dnalc.org/ddnalc/resources/pcr.html
- Ecogenomics (NEPTUNE)—http://www.neptune.washington.edu/research/index.jsp?keywords=ECOGNM&title=Ecogenomics
- Oceans and human health—http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/ohhi/
- Greenomes – lab and internet exercises—http://www.greenomes.org/
- The Cartoon Guide to Genetics—http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/Biotech/cartoon.html
Harmful Algal Blooms
- Bigelow’s algal blooms page: neat interactive and also focuses on non-harmful algal blooms—http://www.bigelow.org/hab/
- WHOI’s introduction—http://www.whoi.edu/redtide/
- HABs in Texas; general intro with frequent updates—http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/environconcerns/hab/
- NOAA’s HAB site—http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/coasts/hab/welcome.html
Dead Zones
- NOAA’s ocean service education—http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/welcome.html
- NOAA’s ocean service data explorer—http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/dataexplorer/welcome.html
- PISCO hypoxia overview—http://www.piscoweb.org/policy-and-outreach-hypoxia
- PISCO data—http://www.piscoweb.org/data (have to register)
- NOAA data sets; mostly just an overview—http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/datasets/welcome.html
- World Ocean Database—http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/SELECT/dbsearch/dbsearch.html
- NOAA Ocean Exploration—http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/
- MBARI Mooring data sets—http://www.mbari.org/oasis/index.html
- Hypoxia/upwelling activity—http://www.mbari.org/earth/2007/ooei/Aug_2/Presentations/VA_Eutroph_Lesson.doc
Microbiology
- Phytopia (Bigelow Labs)—http://www.bigelow.org/phytopia/
- Whyville—Whyville is a virtual world where boys and girls from all over the real world come to chat, play, learn, and have fun together
- ESPERE—Environmental Science Published for Everybody Round the Earth
- MicrobeWiki: http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/MicrobeWiki
- Micro*Scope: http://starcentral.mbl.edu/microscope/portal.php
Back to top