Marine microbes, a diverse group of organisms that includes microalgae, viruses, bacteria and archaea, serve as the base of the marine food chain and are responsible for controlling much of the ocean’s nutrient flow and health.

But given their prevalence, very little is known about how they interact and carry out fundamental processes in the ocean, particularly in deep, low-oxygen waters where the impacts of climate change are becoming significant. In these areas, up to half of all available nitrogen — a nutrient that is essential for all ocean life — is lost due to microbial processes on overdrive because of warmer ocean water and less circulation.

Now, a University of Washington team has shed new light on a common but poorly understood bacteria known to live in these areas. By culturing and sequencing the microbe’s entire genome, the oceanographers found that it significantly contributes to the removal of life-supporting nitrogen from the water in new and surprising ways.