Marine biofilms are ubiquitous in the marine environment. These complex microbial communities rapidly respond to environmental changes and encompass hugely diverse microbial structures, functions and metabolisms. Nevertheless, knowledge is limited on the microbial community structures and functions of natural marine biofilms and their influence on global geochemical cycles. Microbial cues, including secondary metabolites and microbial structures, regulate interactions between microorganisms, with their environment and with other benthic organisms, which affects their community succession and metamorphosis. Furthermore, marine biofilms are key mediators of marine biofouling, which greatly affect marine industries. In this Review, we discuss marine biofilm dynamics, including their diversity, abundance and functions. We also highlight knowledge gaps, areas for future research and potential biotechnological applications of marine biofilms.

海洋生物膜在海洋环境中无处不在。这些复杂的微生物群落对环境变化做出快速反应，并包含极其多样化的微生物结构、功能和新陈代谢。然而，关于天然海洋生物膜的微生物群落结构和功能及其对全球地球化学循环的影响的知识有限。微生物线索，包括次生代谢物和微生物结构，调节微生物与环境和其他底栖生物之间的相互作用，从而影响它们的群落演替和变态。此外，海洋生物膜是海洋生物污损的关键介质，极大地影响了海洋工业。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了海洋生物膜动力学，包括它们的多样性、丰度和功能。我们还强调知识差距，