Airborne microbial community heterogeneity at the ocean-atmosphere interface of the Great Barrier Reef marine ecosystem

The aerosphere is the least understood biome on Earth despite its critical role as a microbial transport medium. The influence of surface cover on composition of airborne microbial communities above marine systems is unclear. Here we report evidence for a dynamic microbial presence at the ocean-atmosphere interface of a major marine ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef, and identify that an oceanic or continental trajectory for aerosols correlates with observed shifts in bacterial and fungal diversity. A putative airborne source for coral symbionts and pathogens was also demonstrated thus highlighting biological connectivity between atmosphere and ocean.