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Nature 415, 590-591 (7 February 2002) | doi:10.1038/415590b

Microbiological oceanography: Hidden in a sea of microbes

David M. Karl

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The photosynthetic activities of bacteria in the oceans are more diverse than previously thought. A full picture of the marine energy budget will require their separate contributions to be teased apart.

Green plants have been using oxygenic photosynthesis, in which oxygen is released, for more than 3 billion years. But there are two other non-oxygenic photosynthetic pathways, used not by green plants, but by certain bacteria.