The largely neglected ecological role of oceanic pelagic fungi

Recent findings indicate that pelagic fungi should not be neglected as valuable members of oceanic pelagic ecosystems.However, research on the ecological role of pelagic fungi is the ocean is extremely limited.Recent technological advances allow the uncovering and characterization of the abundance, diversity, and functional roles played by pelagic fungal taxa/communities in the ocean.A new acknowledged role of fungi in the ecology and biogeochemistry of the oceanic water column provides a more complete picture of marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles.These findings also bridge terrestrial and freshwater with marine fungal ecology, expanding the global relevance of fungi in natural environments.