Our coastal oceans are teeming with microbial life. In each liter of seawater, billions of bacteria and viruses representing an astonishing genetic diversity are constantly replicating and decaying such that on average a microbe may last only hours to days. The vast majority of this microbial community comprises species of little direct consequence for human health, but serious pathogens persist in coastal microbial communities wherever human habitat touches the sea. What do we know of the microbial ecology and diversity in coastal waters? How might interactions within complex microbial communities influence the ecology and evolution of pathogenic bacteria found there? By way of setting the stage for our future work on these questions, I will present an overview of some of my work on marine bacterial and viral ecology, discuss the importance of viral infections as a driving force in bacterial evolution, and conclude with speculation on the importance of coastal microbial communities as reservoirs of genetic diversity that may seed the development of novel pathogenic bacteria.
Presenter:
Grieg Steward, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Oceanography
University of Hawaii, Manoa
Friday August 6, 2004
11:00 a.m.
Biomedical Sciences Building, B-103
The Pacific Research Center for Marine Biomedicine (PRCMB) is a newly established center at the University of Hawaii dedicated to trans-disciplinary research designed to gain new knowledge about the profound impacts of the ocean on human health. The Center is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
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