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The Ocean’s Rainforest: How Marine Microbes Shape Our Climate by Matti Gralka
Did you know that half of all photosynthesis on Earth happens in the ocean, carried out by organisms too small to see?
Join us on 2 December 2026 at **17:00 **for an evening of science, conversation, and connection as we explore the fascinating microscopic world beneath the ocean’s surface and its surprising role in regulating our planet’s climate.
About the Lecture
A single glass of seawater contains as many microbes as there are people on Earth: bacteria, algae, viruses, and more. Together, these organisms do as much photosynthesis as all the forests on land, transforming carbon dioxide into forms usable by living organisms. They do this despite weighing less than one percent of the world's plants, making them extremely important for regulating the climate.What happens to all of this carbon that is captured by microscopic algae in the ocean? Some returns to the air as CO₂; some sinks to the deep sea as "marine snow," where it can stay for centuries. Which path it takes depends on the microbes themselves and the intricate interactions between them: on the bacteria that live with algae as partners or as killers, on the viruses that end algal blooms, and on the bacteria that work together to eat what remains.
About Community Dialogues
Community Dialogues is an initiative by AIMMS (Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, bringing science beyond the laboratory and into conversation with the wider community.
Our goal is to create an accessible and welcoming space where researchers, students, professionals, and curious minds can come together to explore scientific discoveries, exchange perspectives, and connect across disciplines.