The Microbial Masters of Earth’s Climate

Quanta Magazine recently spotlighted microbes as key regulators of the planet’s climate system — with insights from Prof. Shady Amin of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Marine Microbiomics Lab.

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For billions of years, microbes have shaped Earth’s atmosphere, driving photosynthesis, recycling nutrients, and seeding clouds with rain. Today, their role is even more critical as climate change accelerates.

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Methane-producing microbes are intensifying global warming, while methane-eating microbes and ice-nucleating bacteria show potential to cool the planet. Microbes in soil and water continue to influence greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide.

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Prof. Amin’s contribution focuses on the phycosphere — the microscopic “neighborhoods” around phytoplankton. These communities of bacteria and algae exchange nutrients that fuel ocean productivity and carbon sequestration.

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Because phytoplankton account for nearly half of Earth’s photosynthesis, their microbial partnerships directly affect how much CO₂ the oceans can absorb.

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The Marine Microbiomics Lab is investigating how these relationships respond to extreme conditions, such as the warming waters of the Arabian/Persian Gulf. By uncovering how microbial networks adapt — or collapse — under stress, the lab hopes to inform strategies to safeguard marine ecosystems and preserve the ocean’s role as a climate buffer.

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Why it matters: Microbes are invisible, but they are indispensable. Understanding their interactions is essential if we are to partner with them in stabilizing Earth’s climate.

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Read the entire article here