All aboard: molecular survey of Pacific Ocean life

Abstract

After 2 years of preparation, 2 and a half years at sea, and 6 years of sample analysis, a raft of papers have been published describing the array of microbial life in the coal reefs of the Pacific Ocean (collected online at https://www.nature.com/collections/tara-pacific ). The molecular data captured provide a snapshot of the diversity of coral microbiomes in the Pacific and suggest that the diversity within these ocean colonies has been significantly underestimated, the researchers say. The samples were taken during the Tara Pacific Expedition, which navigated around the ocean between 2016 and 2018. The ship, which is used specifically for scientific ocean expeditions , traveled from Panama to Portland, Oregon, via New Zealand and the Philippines. On board, a crew of scientists took samples along the way. In total, over 100 scientists contributed to the effort, not just collecting samples on the boat but then sequencing them back on