This issue explores how marine microbes may provide some of the earliest signals of environmental change in the ocean. In our feature article, Invisible First Responders: Marine Microbes Reveal Ocean Change Before We See It, we examine how microbial communities respond rapidly to changes in temperature, oxygen, and nutrients, and how these microscopic organisms could contribute to future early-warning systems for ocean health.

A new perspective in npj Climate Action titled “Bringing marine microbiome research into the classroom is an essential step toward a climate literate society” argues that bringing marine microbiome science into classrooms isn’t a niche idea — it’s fundamental to building a climate-literate society capable of meeting today’s planetary challenges. Here we provide highlights of the article.