title: Modelling plankton ecosystems in the meta-omics era. Are we ready?
abstract: Recent progress in applying meta-omics approaches to the study of marine ecosystems potentially allows scientists to study the genetic and functional diversity of plankton at an unprecedented depth and with enhanced precision. However, while a range of persistent technical issues still need to be resolved, a much greater obstacle currently preventing a complete and integrated view of the marine ecosystem is the absence of a clear conceptual framework. Herein, we discuss the knowledge that has thus far been derived from conceptual and statistical modelling of marine plankton ecosystems, and illustrate the potential power of integrated meta-omics approaches in the field. We then propose the use of a semantic framework is necessary to support integrative ecological modelling in the meta-omics era, particularly when having to face the increased interdisciplinarity needed to address global issues related to climate change.
authors.affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Krzysztof Franciszek
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Stec
authors.affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caputi
authors.affiliation: Alfred-Wegener Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Buttigieg
authors.affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Alelio
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, 46 rue d'Ulm, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Federico Matias
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ibarbalz
authors.affiliation: Ohio State Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes (LS2N), UMR 6004 - Université de Nantes, CNRS, École Centrale de Nantes, IMT Atlantique, 2 rue de la Houssinière, 44322 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaffron
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, 46 rue d'Ulm, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bowler
authors.affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio@szn.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribera d'Alcalà
authors.affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: iudicone@szn.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iudicone
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010933:Plankton / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*