Bayesian inference of community average gene copy numbers and its application for the metagenomic characterization of bacterioplankton community types in the Sargasso Sea

Average genome sizes in comparative metagenomics Seasonality in the Sargasso SeaThe Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site hosts one of the largest long term multidisciplinary oceanographic observatory programs.One of the aims of this program is to clarify the composition of microbial communities occurring in the water column, its changes driven by environmental factors and its activities in the biogeochemical cycling of elements.We recently undertook a comparative metagenomic study of seasonality in this system.Seasonality is one of the well-documented, constant features of the BATS site.Cold winds in the winter lead to deeper mixing and transport of nutrients from the mesopelagic zone towards the surface, fuelling spring phytoplankton blooms; whereas thermal stratification and surface nutrient depletion result in highly oligotrophic summer conditions.