MICROTRANSEAS 2025 

International Workshop

Microbial Diversity and Functioning in Marine and Transition Environments 

Dear Colleagues,

 We are pleased to announce that the first International Workshop on “Microbial Diversity and Functioning in Marine and Transition Environments” will be held online on September 3, 2025.

The workshop is organized within the framework of the project “Neglected microbial diversity of coastal hypersaline environments and marine transition areas: study of its dark matter and hidden treasures (Maricostems)” funded by the European Union’s “Next Generation EU” initiative under the PRIN 2022 programme (Project No. 2022FLKW8E). This initiative is jointly supported by University of Tuscia, University of Cagliari, and University “Ca' Foscari” Venezia.

The marine environment and marine transition areas together form a continuum of interconnected ecosystems that harbor diverse microbial communities, playing fundamental roles in global ecological and biogeochemical processes. Transition marine environments, including estuaries, coastal lagoons, salt marshes, and marine salterns, represent dynamic and heterogeneous zones within the broader marine context where microbial assemblages are continuously adapting to fluctuating physicochemical conditions and, where present, to varying degrees of anthropogenic pressures.

It is of great scientific interest to explore and deepen our understanding of the diversity, functional potential and ecological roles of microbial communities in marine and transition environments. Special attention is given to uncovering the metabolic capabilities, taxonomic diversity and interactions, including viral components, within these ecosystems, which hold great promise for advancing microbial ecology and biotechnological applications.

The workshop aims to encourage contributions that provide new insights into microbial communities of marine and transitional ecosystems, highlighting their ecological significance and potential applications. 

Contributions, which will be selected for oral or poster presentations, may address topics including: microbial community composition, structure, and functional dynamics; metabarcoding, metagenomic, and metatranscriptomic analyses of microbial populations; microbial taxonomy and phylogenetics; characterization of enzymes and bioactive metabolites; and biotechnological potentials and applications arising from microbial diversity in marine and transition environments.