Water mass specific genes dominate the Southern Ocean microbiome

Water mass specific genes dominate the Southern Ocean microbiome | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Water mass specific genes dominate the Southern Ocean microbiome Emile Faure, Jolann Pommellec, Cyril Noel, Alexandre Cormier, and 16 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5608865/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 09 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Southern Ocean (SO) plays a key role in regulating global biogeochemical cycles and climate, yet microbial genes sustaining its biological activity remain poorly characterized. We introduce a comprehensive SO microbial genes collection from 218 metagenomes sampled during the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition, the majority of which are missing from functional databases. 38% even lack homologs in current reference marine gene catalogs, defining a singular genetic seascape. We show that SO gene assemblages exhibit a common polar signature with the Arctic Ocean while being structured by water masses at the SO-scale. We analyze genomic markers of diverse SO biomes, focusing on adaptations to organic matter consumption in the blooming Mertz polynya and temperature-dependent trace metal utilization by the ubiquist Bacteria Pelagibacter. Our work takes a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of SO’s plankton ecology and evolution, capturing the current state of the unique microbial diversity in this rapidly changing Ocean. Biological sciences/Microbiology/Environmental microbiology/Water microbiology Biological sciences/Ecology/Biodiversity Biological sciences/Ecology/Microbial ecology Biological sciences/Ecology/Biogeochemistry Biological sciences/Computational biology and bioinformatics/Databases/Genetic databases Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files FaureetalWaterMassSpecificPolarGenesDominateTheSOMicrobiomeSupplementaryMaterials.docx Supplementary materials Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 09 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5608865","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":396849159,"identity":"6e8f3ef2-5d68-4339-8566-6d6d7253712b","order_by":0,"name":"Emile 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