Metagenomic analysis reveals Northwest Pacific Ocean as reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes

Antibiotic resistance genes have been recognized as a new type of environmental contaminant. The ocean is considered to be one of the final environments where ARGs accumulate. Marine ecosystems are huge repositories of ARGs, the dynamics in the open ocean environment remain poorly understood. Through a large-scale metagenomic and 16S amplicon analysis of the Kuroshio Extension, a hydrodynamic region in the Northwest Pacific, these findings redefine the extent of the ocean as a testing ground for resistance evolution and call for its rapid incorporation into global antimicrobial stewardship strategies.