Exploring an Invisible World in the Ocean | Microbes in Oxygen Minimum Zones - Week 1

Oxygen Minimum Zones, or OMZs, are areas in the water column with less oxygen, primarily due to naturally occurring physical and biological processes within the Ocean. The core of the OMZ is anoxic, making them inhospitable to most large animals, yet microbes have adapted to live and thrive in this oxygen-starved environment. During the #OxygenMinimumMicrobes Expedition, an international team of researchers is working in the eastern tropical South Pacific off the coast of Chile. They strive to deepen our scientific knowledge of OMZs, which have substantial ecological significance, and this research will help us to predict and understand the future health of the ocean, our atmosphere, and the humans who depend on these resources for survival.