The main objective of this conference is to highlight the central role that phycospheres and particles play in marine microbial ecology, to bring together thinkers from different fields studying these topics, and to chart paths towards better understanding oceanic ecological hotspots. The conference will provide a venue for dissemination of the fundamental concepts of microbial interactions within hotspots, while allowing insights into emerging trends. In particular, the symposium will be designed to address how microbial interactions in marine hotspots evolve in time, as a continuum that spans the material lifecycle of a phytoplankton cell—from phycosphere to aggregate to deep-sea particle. The symposium will provide an overview of the current scope, functionality, and performance of available techniques. Poster sessions will be strategically held early in the meeting, to give junior scientists an opportunity to introduce their work and interact with leading scientists within the field. Discussions will address concepts that are difficult to reconcile with traditional paradigms, such as the question of what constitutes a symbiosis in the marine microbial world given the physical constraints of life in the ocean’s water column. These objectives promise to provide a firm foundation for new, interdisciplinary collaborative activities—both experimental and theoretical—among the scientists participating in the symposium.

Conference Themes

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phytoplankton - bacteria Interactions : specificity

How does specificity arise in interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria when many bacteria appear functionally redundant and associations with hotspots may be fleeting? Interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton blur the lines between symbiotic and commensal relationships and challenge our understanding of the limits of coevolution between microorganisms.

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Phytoplankton - bacteria : Antagonistic interactions

What conditions favor antagonistic interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton? Are there key chemical signals that mediate these interactions? Can phycosphere bacteria confer resilience to their hosts in a manner similar to the microbiomes of larger organisms? How are these interactions manifested in larger-scale phytoplankton community dynamics?

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Resource partitioning

How are resources partitioned among community members residing in these hotspots? Does partitioning evolve dynamically during the lifetime of the hotspot?

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Particle-attached communities

What role do particle-attached microbial communities play once particles reach the deep ocean, where particles are hypothesized to be a critical nutrient source? How do these communities persist as nutrient quality on particles declines?

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Physico-chemical properties
of marine particles

What are the chemical and physical properties of marine particles within the ocean? What determines their distribution? What information is needed to accurately model processes in these microenvironments? Can existing and emerging techniques provide this information?