Current projects in the Allen laboratory are concerned with development of new knowledge and new hypotheses related to gene function, biochemical pathways, ecophysiology and other genome-scale characteristics that typify and distinguish the major microeukaryotic phytoplankton lineages. Marine microbes underpin the function of the earth’s biosphere and serve as indicators of ocean change. Photosynthetic marine microbes account for around half of global photosynthesis annually and together viruses, bacteria, and protists account for most of the biomass found in ocean ecosystems and are crucial components of coastal and pelagic ecosystems. Knowledge related to microbial diversity and function represents one of the great data gaps in marine observations, despite the fact that marine food web dynamics and associated carbon, nitrogen, silica and other key ocean ecosystem nutrient cycles are largely regulated by microbial activity.