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Prochlorococcus marinus

Aug. 14, 2003 — Teams of gene scientists have unravelled the DNA of two key marine bacteria believed to play a vital role in the process of global warming.

Understanding their genetic mechanisms should give vital clues as to their ability to absorb CO₂ and thus enable experts to get a clearer picture of the global warming dilemma, according to a report in the journal Nature.

The bugs are leading actors in the world of phytoplankton, the microscopic creatures that float on waves and currents on the uppermost layers of the sea, using sunlight to transform carbon dioxide (CO₂) into energy.

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CO₂, the big culprit in global warming, is disgorged by the burning of oil, carbon and gas, the fuels that have driven industrialization.

Scientists believe that unbraked emissions of CO₂ are causing a "greenhouse effect" in which the Earth's atmosphere is steadily warming, trapping heat from the sun rather than letting it radiate back into space.

One of the big areas of interest are carbon "sinks," living things that absorb CO₂ from the air through photosynthesis, and can thus mitigate the climate-changing build-up of pollution.

Until recently, interest in "sinks" has focused on planting forests, but increasingly scientists have become aware of an equally important role played by the sea, which accounts for two-thirds of the Earth's surface.

The two sequenced bacteria are Prochlorococcus marinus, the dominant phytoplankton in most tropical and temperate oceans, and Synechococcus, which is less abundant but has a broader global distribution.

Between them, these bugs account for as much as two-thirds of the CO₂ that is absorbed by the sea.

The research will also be published in next week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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