Marine synthetic ecology: From microbial communities to ecosystems

Marine ecosystems are vital for global ecological functions and human health but face escalating threats from both anthropogenic activities and global climate change. Marine microorganisms, comprising over two-thirds of the marine biomass, play essential roles in biogeochemical cycling of elements and food webs. Synthetic ecology aims to understand ecological theories and provide nature-based solutions to emerging ecological and environmental problems. Here, we first propose a framework, the resource-design-verification-evolution-application (RDVEA) model for marine synthetic ecology studies, aiming to understand marine ecological theories, design and construct marine-specific synthetic communities, and optimize their functionality toward marine environmental applications. Synthetic ecosystems may target food web interactions, greenhouse gas mitigation, and carbon sequestration enhancement in the future marine environment.