The Ocean Sampling Day Handbook released

Integrated effort of the Micro B3 consortium partners resulted in a release of the Ocean Sampling Day Handbook, version 1.0.

This best practice guide describing procedures and policies on the marine sample collection, logistics and bioinformatics is intended primarily for marine research Stations and Cruises contributing to the principle sampling event of the Micro B3 project, the Ocean Sampling Day 2014 (OSD).

A collection of OSD samples acquired according to OSD Handbook guidelines, i.e. using standardized protocols and accompanied by a standardized set of sample metadata, will enable molecular and morphological analysis of marine microbial biodiversity on a global scale and in a rich environmental context, and will ultimately provide a better insight into the role that marine microbial complexity plays in climate changes.