Marine microbes are quite literally talking to each other. On February 28th, Sonya Dyhrman will share her groundbreaking research that enables us to decipher the intricate language of these microbes and their role in ocean health. Learn how we can listen in on their conversations to better understand how they power ocean ecosystems and influence global climate on our beautiful blue planet.

Sonya Dyhrman is a Professor at Columbia University and a member of the Biology and Paleoenvironment Division at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Sonya is a marine biologist who specializes in using new genomic approaches to study marine microbes and how their activities support ocean ecosystem health. From Long Island Sound to Antarctica, her work combines field studies with laboratory experiments to query the vast network of microbes in the ocean and forecast what those networks will look like in the future. In addition to her research program, she is a devoted educator in both a formal and informal context, developing outreach materials that have reached millions of children with math and science content, teaching Columbia undergraduates about ecosystems, and sharing her work with policy makers at the UN Climate meetings (COP).

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory seeks fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution, and future of the natural world. Its scientists study the planet from its deepest interior to the outer reaches of its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean, providing a rational basis for the difficult choices facing humanity.

Seas of Change: The Microscopic World that Drives Ocean Health and Climate