biogeography Archives - Astrobiology

NCLDV community composition across geographically-distinct hydrothermal vents. t-SNE (t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding) ordination plot based on the normalized Q2Q3 coverages of 279 NCLDV contigs across reads from 6 geographically-distinct vent locations. The interquartile coverage of each NCLDV contig was normalized to the lowest library size of metagenomic samples. Each dot represents one metagenomic sample and the color of the dot indicates the vent location. Parentheses indicate the type of vent environment: d (diffuse fluid), h (hydrothermal fluid), p (plume), sed (sediment), and s (sulfide deposit) -- biorxiv.org

Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics

The Biogeography Of Hydrothermal Vent Giant Viruses Across Earth’s Global Ocean

by Keith CowingOctober 25, 2026October 25, 2026

[biorxiv.org] Viruses are the most abundant known biological entities in the ocean and play central role in microbial ecology. However, the patterns and drivers of their biogeographic distribution across global […]

Global distribution of the 20 hypersaline samples analyzed in this study. Dots and labels are colored by their respective location (Red Sea: Violet; Mediterranean: Sea green; Atlantic: Salmon; Pacific: Sky Blue; and Inland: Olive green). -- ISME Communications

Microbiology & Virology

Dispersal Pathways And Infection Strategies Within The Global Halophilic Virome

by Keith CowingSeptember 25, 2026September 25, 2026

[ISME Communications] Microbial biogeography has recently attracted significant attention for its potential to provide novel ecological and evolutionary insights, with environmental connectivity emerging as a key factor in the global […]

Graphical Abstract

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

The Hidden Viral Network: How Viruses Shape Microbial Adaptability and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Polyextreme Mars-Analog Qaidam Basin Desert

by Keith CowingDecember 11, 2025December 10, 2025

Viruses play essential roles in shaping the structure and function of microbial communities, including those inhabiting extreme environments.

Many microbial structures on the shores of Lake Salda in Turkey are exposed as water levels drop, allowing scientists to study relationships between life and the surrounding environment. CREDIT Tim Lyons/UCR

Analog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Exponentially Increasing Our Understanding Of Early Life On Earth

by Keith CowingJuly 29, 2024July 29, 2024

Despite decades of research, there’s still much scholars don’t understand about life’s beginnings and early evolution. A UC Riverside paper has opened the door to understanding more and to framing […]

2016: Alvin working on the East Pacific Rise, as viewed from a camera on an elevator (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Analog Studies, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Offworld Away Team Analog: New Opportunities and Untapped Scientific Potential in Earth’s Abyssal Ocean

by Keith CowingMay 23, 2024May 23, 2024

The abyssal ocean covers more than half of the Earth’s surface, yet remains understudied and underappreciated. In this Perspectives article, we mark the occasion of the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin’s […]