Marine Microbial Diversity for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The marine ecosystem is the largest habitat on our planet Earth. Microbes encompass the huge diversity and play a vital and frequently inimitable task in the operation of the ecosystem and in preserving a sustainable ecosystem. Marine microbes belong to three domains of life such as “Archaea,” “Bacteria,” and “Eukarya.” Both prokaryotic domains are highly abundant in the oceanic ecosystem. Apart from these, viruses were tenfold more abundant than all microbes in the marine environment. Microorganisms participate in sustaining the vibrant balance and uprightness of the environment, which is vital because the sustained continuation of life is reliant upon the continued, microbially mediated alteration of substances in the marine habitats and most of the biogeochemical processes in the marine ecosystem engross microbes, either directly or indirectly. Till now, the scientific community still does not completely understand microbial diversity and its significance on environmental processes. It is a wrong perception that microbes only cause diseases, because there are several constructive roles they play in marine habitats, and, therefore, it is necessary to intensely investigate the marine microbes as they aid immensely in sustainable development in human welfare. The chapter discusses the distribution and diversity of diverse microorganisms, their unique roles in the oceans in ecosystem services, environmental sustainability, human health, and achieving sustainable growth.