Microbial communities have essential roles in ocean ecology and planetary health. Microbes participate in nutrient cycles, remove huge quantities of carbon dioxide from the air and support ocean food webs. The taxonomic and functional diversity of the global ocean microbiome has been revealed by technological advances in sampling, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics. A better understanding of the ocean microbiome could underpin strategies to address environmental and societal challenges, including achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals way beyond SDG 14 ‘life below water’. We propose a set of priorities for understanding and protecting the ocean microbiome, which include delineating interactions between microbiota, sustainably applying resources from oceanic microorganisms and creating policy- and funder-friendly ocean education resources, and discuss how to achieve these ambitious goals.

微生物群落在海洋生态和地球健康中发挥着重要作用。微生物参与营养循环，从空气中去除大量二氧化碳并支持海洋食物网。采样、DNA测序和生物信息学方面的技术进步揭示了全球海洋微生物组的分类和功能多样性。更好地了解海洋微生物组可以支持应对环境和社会挑战的战略，包括实现超越可持续发展目标 14“水下生命”的多个可持续发展目标。我们提出了一系列理解和保护海洋微生物组的优先事项，包括描绘微生物群之间的相互作用，