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Brett D. Jameson, PhD
Marine Microbiologist | Molecular Ecologist
Microbes Matter…
Every drop of seawater contains over 1 million microbial cells and over 100 different species. The combined activities of these organisms not only recycle important nutrients that form the building blocks of life itself, but also catalyze chemical transformations that regulate our planet’s climate and maintain its habitability. Despite the fundamental importance of microorganisms to every ecosystem on Earth, the vast majority of microbial species and their roles as ecosystem engineers remain unknown. That’s were I come in!
I am a microbial oceanographer researching the effects of changing environmental conditions on marine microbial communities, and the consequences for ecosystem and organismal function. I work across a wide array of marine ecosystems ranging from open oxygen deficient zones to coastal mangrove sediments to coral reefs attempting to identify the metabolic and ecological characteristics that drive microbial community assembly, species interactions, and biogeochemical processes. My current work as a Postdoctoral Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) is leverages multi-omics approaches to better understand the importance of prokaryote communities for facilitating and regulating symbiotic relationships in reef-building corals.
I am always open to new and exciting collaborations involving research projects that interface with the microbial realm, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Click here for a copy of my most recent C.V.
Thanks for stopping by!
Photo by Danielle Brady
Recent Publications:
Microbial keystones modulate water column N2O cycling
Network analysis of 16S rRNA-sequencing data collected over six months in the Saanich Inlet on Vancouver Island, Canada, suggests keystone microbial taxa contribute to water column N2O cycling. This work presents important insights into the potential role of ecological interactions, mediated through keystone taxa, in driving ecosystem function.
Citation: Jameson, B.D., Murdock, S.A., Ji, Q., Stevens, C.J., Grundle, D.S., and Juniper, S.K. (2023). Network analysis of 16S rRNA sequences suggest microbial keystone taxa contribute to N2O marine cycling. Communications Biology 6:212 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04597-5
Non-denitrifiers drive strong N2O consumption in pristine mangroves
Bermuda’s pristine mangrove sediments act as natural N₂O sinks, even after nitrogen enrichment. Our research links this capacity to unique microbial genes that consume N₂O without producing it — highlighting the critical role of microbial communities in regulating greenhouse gases. Protecting these coastal ecosystems could help mitigate climate change and preserve atmospheric balance.
Citation: Jameson, B.D., Lopez, M.L.D., Bonderud, M., Stevens, C.J., Juniper, S.K., Helbing, C.C., and Grundle, D.S. (2024). High abundances and expression levels of atypical, non-denitrifier N2O reductases drive strong microbial N2O consumption rates in a minimally impacted mangrove stand. JGR: Biogeosciences 129, e2023JG007805. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JG007805.