{"id":27895,"date":"2026-05-29T15:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=27895"},"modified":"2026-06-01T10:03:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:03:55","slug":"scientists-map-ocean-microbes-involved-in-carbon-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scientists-map-ocean-microbes-involved-in-carbon-cycle\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists map the ocean\u2019s invisible workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/levine-guilds-transectmap-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/levine-guilds-transectmap-top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/levine-guilds-transectmap-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/levine-guilds-transectmap-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"World map image with oceans colored in gradients from yellow to red\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Computer model of the abundance of carbon-consuming microbes in Pacific Ocean surface waters, information that may help scientists better predict how the ocean stores and cycles carbon. (Image: Courtesy of Emily Zakem.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Scientists map the ocean\u2019s invisible workforce<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  New USC Dornsife research reveals how tiny sea-faring microbes compete for nutrients and help regulate the planet\u2019s climate.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">May 29, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 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\n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Key findings:\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n      <ul>\n              <li><p>Scientists identified a new way to classify ocean microbes into groups based on how they consume nutrients and recycle carbon.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>They found that different microbes dominate in different parts of the ocean, depending on how much and the type of food that is available.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>Grouping microbes by behavior instead of species could improve climate models and predictions about carbon storage in the ocean.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>The research helps explain how tiny marine organisms play a major role in regulating Earth\u2019s climate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>The ocean is full of invisible workers. Trillions of microbes quietly break down carbon-containing organic matter, which helps to regulate Earth\u2019s climate. But scientists have long struggled to understand how different microbes contribute to the process.<\/p>\n<p>Now, researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and collaborators have developed a new way to make sense of that hidden workforce. Their study, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz0537\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a> recently in <em>Science Advances<\/em>, identifies a small set of \u201cmetabolic niches\u201d \u2014 or functional roles \u2014 that help explain how marine microbes grow, compete for resources and recycle carbon around the globe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese microbes are incredibly diverse, but we found that their behavior can be grouped into a manageable number of strategies,\u201d said study lead scientist <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/naomi-levine\/\">Naomi Levine<\/a>, professor of biological sciences, quantitative and computational biology, and Earth sciences at USC Dornsife. \u201cThat gives us a much clearer way to connect microbial life to the carbon cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>USC Dornsife scientists map the ocean\u2019s invisible workforce<\/h2>\n<p>Marine microbes play a central role in Earth\u2019s climate. Some of these single-cell organisms use photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide into organic molecules such as sugars, while others \u2014 including the microbes Levine\u2019s team studied \u2014 consume those molecules as food, releasing much of the carbon back into the ocean as carbon dioxide. This cyclic process helps shape how much carbon the ocean stores versus sends back into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>But scientists have struggled to predict how these processes work because microbial communities are so complex. Thousands of species can coexist in a single bucket of ocean water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe big challenge has been figuring out how to simplify that complexity without losing what really matters,\u201d said Levine, who holds the Gabilan Distinguished Professorship in Science and Engineering.<\/p>\n<p>To tackle this problem, the research team analyzed genetic data from thousands of marine microbes collected around the world. Using that information, they built computer models that simulate how each organism uses different types of food \u2014 sugars, amino acids or organic acids \u2014 to grow. The team then simulated how each microbe responded when certain nutrients were limited. This revealed which resources each organism depends on most.<\/p>\n<p>From these patterns, the researchers used a machine learning approach to group microbes into eight broad clusters, each representing a different metabolic strategy to obtain and use nutrients.<\/p>\n<p>Some clusters included fast-growing \u201cgeneralists\u201d that can use a wide range of food sources. Others consisted of slower growing \u201cspecialists\u201d that rely on specific types of nutrients.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a little like categorizing people by how they eat,\u201d Levine said. \u201cSome will eat almost anything, while others depend on very particular diets. Those differences shape how they live and where they thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The eight metabolic groups help explain how microbial communities vary across the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>For example, generalists were more common in nutrient-rich environments like coastal waters, especially where rivers meet the sea. In contrast, slower-growing specialists were more prevalent in the open ocean, where nutrients are scarce.<\/p>\n<p>These patterns suggest that microbial communities are structured by trade-offs. Organisms that grow quickly tend to be flexible in what they eat, while those that grow slowly are often more specialized.<\/p>\n<h2>Why microbial groupings matter for climate<\/h2>\n<p>The findings could improve how scientists model the ocean\u2019s role in the global carbon cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Current climate models often struggle to represent microbial activity because of its complexity. By reducing microbial diversity into a small number of functional groups, the new framework makes it easier to include these processes in large-scale models.<\/p>\n<p>That could lead to better predictions of how the ocean will respond to climate change \u2014 including how much carbon it will store in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we want to understand climate, we have to understand the microbes,\u201d Levine said. \u201cThey\u2019re the engines driving carbon cycling in the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study builds on earlier research, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.ado5323\">2025 study<\/a> done in collaboration with USC Dornsife Professor of Biological Sciences <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/jed-fuhrman\/\">Jed Fuhrman<\/a>\u2019s group and led by Emily Zakem, a former postdoc in Levine\u2019s lab who is now at Carnegie Science.<\/p>\n<p>That study used ecological models to describe how microbial communities vary across the ocean and showed that broad categories of microbes \u2014 such as fast-growing \u201ccopiotrophs\u201d and slower \u201coligotrophs\u201d \u2014 can explain large-scale patterns in carbon cycling.<\/p>\n<p>The new study adds more nuance to that picture. Instead of grouping microbes based mainly on ecological traits, it identifies specific metabolic strategies based on what organisms can actually consume and how they respond to resource limits.<\/p>\n<p>Together, the two studies suggest a path forward: combining ecological models with detailed metabolic information to better understand how microbial communities shape the carbon cycle.<\/p>\n<h2>USC Dornsife study simplifies a vast microbial world<\/h2>\n<p>The researchers note that their framework does not capture all microbial diversity. In particular, some groups of ocean microbes are still poorly represented because scientists lack high-quality genetic data for them.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the models rely on predictions about how microbes use nutrients, which may not fully reflect real-world behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Future studies, including more laboratory experiments and improved genomic data, could refine the model and expand it to include additional microbial groups.<\/p>\n<p>Still, despite these limitations, the research offers a promising step toward understanding one of the most complex systems on Earth.<\/p>\n<p>By identifying a small number of metabolic strategies among these tiny but highly influential organisms, the researchers provide a new way to connect microscopic processes to global climate dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to take something incredibly complicated and find the underlying patterns,\u201d Levine said. \u201cOnce you see those patterns, it becomes much easier to understand how the whole system works.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>About the study<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to Levine, study authors include Ryan Reynolds, Anna Weiss, Chase James, Conner Kojima and J. Cameron Thrash from USC Dornsife, and Jackie Weissman from Stony Brook University and The City College of New York.<\/p>\n<p>The study was funded by Simons Foundation grants 542389, LS-SIAME-00001961 and LS-SIAME-00001997, and National Science Foundation grants EF-2125191 and OCE-1945279.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/venezuela-earthquakes-on-fault-similar-to-san-andreas-geophysicist-sylvain-barbot\/\" \n                      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calling<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New USC Dornsife research reveals how tiny sea-faring microbes compete for nutrients and help regulate the planet\u2019s climate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":27896,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,15],"tags":[88,159,1970,67,1968,86,60],"class_list":["post-27895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-technology","category-sustainability","tag-biological-sciences","tag-earth-sciences","tag-life-sciences","tag-marine-and-environmental-biology","tag-physical-sciences","tag-quantitative-and-computational-biology","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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