The Red Sea receives abundant dust supply from dust storms originated in the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula regions.  The Red Sea acts as a sink for this dust, which also acts as a vehicle for microbes. Airborne microbes have been recognized as a poorly characterized component of the biosphere and, although their load is low, the transport rates, fluxes, and distances can be phenomenal. This research will develop, using metagenomic approaches, a first description of the airborne microbial communities over the Red Sea, their sources and their role upon entering the Red Sea.

Airborne Metagenomics Dust Microbes