Spatial and temporal distribution of marine microorganisms
Marine environments constitute the largest ecosystem on our planet. Covering about 70% of Earth’s surface and containing roughly 97% of its water, the oceans host an extraordinary abundance of microorganisms. These microbes play essential roles in global ecosystem functioning, carrying out key biogeochemical processes such as organic matter mineralization and nutrient cycling. Understanding how microbial communities are distributed across space and time is therefore fundamental for deciphering the dynamics of marine ecosystems.
I have investigated the temporal dynamics of bacterial communities at the Blanes Bay Microbial Observatory, a long‑term coastal time‑series site that provides valuable insights into how microbial populations fluctuate in response to environmental change. I have also contributed to several large‑scale projects aimed at characterizing the global diversity, biogeography, and ecological roles of marine bacteria. Through the Tara Oceans and Malaspina Circumnavigation Expeditions, I have helped explore how microbial communities vary across oceanic regions and environmental gradients.
Currently, we study the distribution of prokaryotes and small eukaryotes in the Alboran Sea through seasonal cruises that span coast‑to‑offshore gradients within the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. We also maintain a monitoring program in the Mar Menor Coastal Lagoon (BELICH Project), and soon we will investigate the spatial distribution of microorganisms in the Bransfield Strait and the Weddell Sea in Antarctica through the COUPLING II project.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
Ferrera I, Auladell A, Balagué V, Reñé A, Garcés E, Massana R, Gasol JM. 2024. SEASONAL AND INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY OF THE FREE-LLIVING AND PARTICLE-ASSOCIATED BACTERIA OF A COASTAL MICROBIOME. Environmental Microbiology Reports 16(4), e13299. Read article
Auladell A, Barberán A, Logares R, Garcés E, Gasol JM, Ferrera I. 2022. SEASONAL NICHE DIFFERENTIATION AMONG CLOSELY RELATED MARINE BACTERIA. The ISME Journal 16, 178-189. Read article
Auladell A, Ferrera I, Montiel Fontanet L, Júnior CDS, Sebastián M, Logares R, Gasol JM. 2023. SEASONALITY OF BIOGEOCHEMICALLY RELEVANT MICROBIAL GENES IN A COASTAL OCEAN MICROBIOME. Environmental Microbiology. Read article