OSD South America
Ocean Sampling Day: South America
Ocean Sampling Day: South America
The SA-OSD project aims to study the coastal marine microbiome and its interaction with environmental factors. To this end, a collaborative continental-scale sampling is carried out, using standardized protocols for DNA sequencing.
This project arises within the framework of the AtlantECO (EU-H2020) project and is based on synergy with the global Ocean Sampling Day (OSD) initiative.
Metagenomics, which involves sequencing the DNA of the entire microbial community present in an environmental sample, is a powerful approach to characterize the diversity, composition, and functional potential of the marine microbiome.
By standardizing sampling and analysis protocols, the SA-OSD project seeks to generate a robust and comparable dataset on the coastal marine microbiome, allowing for a better understanding of how environmental factors influence its structure and function.
The first edition of SA-OSD took place during the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere in 2022. Institutions from Brazil, Argentina, and Panama participated, conducting samplings at 17 different locations. The covered area was approximately 7000 km, from the Brazilian coast to parts of Argentine Patagonia and the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in Panama.
This event marked the first participation of these countries in the global Ocean Sampling Day initiative.
The second edition of the SA-OSD took place in 2023. This time, institutions from Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina participated, expanding the sampling area from the northernmost point of the South American Atlantic (Guajira) to the Patagonian coast (Rawson, Chubut).
The campaign strengthened scientific cooperation and enabled comparisons across distant marine environments along the continent.
The third edition of the SA-OSD, held in 2024, was the most extensive so far. This year, the campaign brought together 24 laboratories from Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.
For the first time, laboratories from Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico also joined, expanding the network to new regions and reinforcing the continental scope of the initiative.
In 2025, it will be the fourth edition of SA-OSD, and we hope to expand our network even further with the participation of new laboratories.
If you are associated with a marine research site in South America and would like to participate in this campaign, please contact us at this email address: saosd.contact@gmail.com
If you have any questions or need more information don’t hesitate to contact us:
saosd.contact@gmail.com
This project is led by the Laboratory of Microbial Processes & Biodiversity at theUFSCar Brazil.
Coordinadores: Hugo Sarmento e Paula Huber