UCT-MARiS Researchers Contribute to Global Ocean Microbiome Science at AtlantECO Hackathon and Legacy Conference, Azores
Researchers from the University of Cape Town’s Marine and Antarctic Research Institute (UCT-MARiS) played an active role in the final in-person events of the international AtlantECO Project, held in the Azores, Portugal, in September 2025. Representing the UCT-MARiS Microbiology team, Dr Emma Rocke and Biological Sciences PhD candidate Yameen Badrodien participated in the AtlantECO Hackathon and the AtlantECO Legacy Conference, contributing South African perspectives and Benguela Upwelling research to this major Atlantic Ocean initiative.
The AtlantECO project brings together scientists, early-career researchers, and policymakers to advance understanding of Atlantic Ocean ecosystems through large-scale microbiome research, multi-omics approaches, modelling, and policy engagement.
Building Skills and Collaboration at the AtlantECO Hackathon
From 8–12 September 2025, Yameen Badrodien took part in the AtlantECO Hackathon, following completion of a series of online training modules focused on the opportunities and limitations of omics data, programmatic data access, and data integration. The in-person Hackathon provided a rare opportunity to work intensively with high-resolution datasets generated during the 2022 Mission Microbiomes expedition.
Working within a small, interdisciplinary team, Yameen contributed to analyses spanning three major oceanic systems: the Benguela Upwelling System, the Weddell Sea, and the Amazon River plume. The team integrated multiple data streams—including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics—to explore microbial community structure and function across contrasting environments.
The fast-paced Hackathon environment challenged participants to formulate hypotheses, troubleshoot workflows, and generate meaningful results within a limited timeframe. Mentorship from experts in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics, complex systems, and network analysis proved invaluable, while collaboration with ecologists, bioinformaticians, computer scientists, and IT specialists fostered a highly supportive and creative research atmosphere.
As an early-career researcher focusing on multi-omics approaches to delineate microbial communities in the Benguela Upwelling system, I was grateful to be able to participate in this event, especially being exposed to mentors and learning different strategies for dissecting complex datasets and generating meaningful results in a very short time.
Beyond the scientific outputs, the Hackathon strengthened international networks and laid the foundation for future collaborations, reinforcing the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork in tackling complex ocean science questions. See some highlights of the Hackathon in the images and video below:
Showcasing Benguela Upwelling Research at the AtlantECO Legacy Conference
Following the Hackathon, Dr Emma Rocke attended the AtlantECO Legacy Conference from 15–19 September 2025 in Ponta Delgada, Azores. The conference marked the culmination of the AtlantECO project and brought together a broad community of researchers, early-career scientists, and policymakers focused on Atlantic Ocean sustainability.
During the scientific programme, Dr Rocke presented preliminary metagenomic results from the Benguela Upwelling leg of the Mission Microbiomes expedition. These findings represent some of the first large-scale multi-omics datasets for both the northern and southern Benguela regions, providing new insights into microbial diversity and function within this highly productive and dynamic upwelling system.
Dr Rocke was also invited to participate in the plenary session “From Atlantic Cooperation to Global Ocean Policy.” In this forum, she highlighted the work being undertaken at UCT-MARiS to process multi-omics samples locally in South Africa, the capacity being built within the region, and the ongoing challenges of ensuring sustainable and equitable access to sequencing and analytical infrastructure across the African continent.
Engagements with researchers and stakeholders beyond the AtlantECO consortium were a particular highlight, opening new avenues for collaboration and strengthening links between Benguela Upwelling research and broader Atlantic and global initiatives.
Advancing African-Led Ocean Microbiome Research
Across both the Hackathon and the Legacy Conference, a unifying message emerged:
Equitable access to omics infrastructure, long-term investment in regional capacity building, and sustained international partnerships are essential for a truly global understanding of ocean microbiomes.
Participation in the AtlantECO events has directly strengthened UCT-MARiS’s efforts to advance African-led ocean microbiome research, enhance technical capacity within South Africa, and ensure that research from the Benguela Upwelling System contributes meaningfully to international science and policy discussions.
UCT-MARiS congratulates Dr Emma Rocke and Yameen Badrodien on their contributions and thanks the AtlantECO project for creating inclusive platforms that support early-and-mid-career researchers, foster collaboration, and amplify voices from the Global South in global ocean science.
To find out more about the AtlantECO project, view the website here.