Description of Research
Summary Statement of Research Interests
Professor Fuhrman researches the roles of microorganisms in natural marine ecosystems and the cycling of matter in the ocean, from the microscopic scale to the global scale. He also measures human pathogenic viruses at recreational beaches as a potential health hazard, and works on innovative ways to make such measurements relatively easy and inexpensive. Professor Fuhrman is currently exploring global marine microbial biodiversity with molecular biological techniques, which has enabled him to identify major new taxonomic groups and make better estimates of the total diversity found in these communities and its role in ecosystem function. His team has discovered a major new group of Archaea inhabiting the deep sea and other novel microbial groups in coral reefs and other ocean habitats. Recently, his lab has determined patterns in diversity that help show how the microorganisms interact as a complex network. In the public health realm, his team has helped to link cases of illness to exposure to microbial and viral pathogens in the coastal zone.