The airborne transport of microbes over the World’s Oceans is relevant to ecosystem health and possibly to the hydrological cycle. We have previously developed new methodologies for the quantification of airborne bacteria and viruses in oceanic air, in particle laden environments such as desert dust over the Red Sea and produced the first global estimates of microbial abundance over the oceans and air-sea exchange of microbes. Our estimates revealed that the atmosphere is teeming with microbes with an estimated global load of ~4x10²¹ microbes in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL), half of which could be traced to an oceanic origin. Although oceanic air masses contain microbes of mixed origins, both marine and terrestrial, most of these airborne microbes will find their final destination on the surface of the sea given that the oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface. However, UV radiation and desiccation are efficient disinfectants, and many of these airborne microbes will not survive their atmospheric voyage. Estimating the abundance of airborne bacteria in the air over the oceans is challenging because of the low abundances observed. Thus, we have developed several approaches to collect and count airborne microbes including improved instruments adapted to sampling on board research vesels. 

Primary Presenter: Jesús Arrieta, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) (jesus.arrieta@ieo.csic.es)

Authors:

Jesús Arrieta, Canary Islands Oceanographic Center, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC)  (jesus.arrieta@ieo.csic.es)

Naiara Abad, Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)  (naiara.abad@ehu.eus)

Zoraida Santana, Canary Islands Oceanographic Center, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC)  (zoraida.santana@ieo.csic.es)

Eva Mayol, Department of Global Change Research, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research – University of the Balearic Islands (CSIC-UIB)  (biomayol@gmail.com)

Eugenio Fraile-Nuez, Canary Islands Oceanographic Center, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC)  (eugenio.fraile@ieo.csic.es)

José Antonio Lozano, Canary Islands Oceanographic Center, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC)  (ja.lozano@ieo.csic.es)

Juan Carlos Guerra, Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería del Medio Ambiente. University of La Laguna (ULL)  (jcguerra@ull.edu.es)