Molecular ecology of aquatic communities: reflections and future directions

During the 1980s, many new molecular biology techniques were developed, pro viding new capabilities for studying the genetics and activities of organis ms. Biologists and ecologists saw the promise that these techniques held fo r studying different aspects of organisms, both in culture and in the natur al environment. In less than a decade, these techniques were adopted by a l arge number of researchers studying many types of organisms in diverse envi ronments. Much of the molecular-level information acquired has been used to address questions of evolution, biogeography, population structure and bio diversity. At this juncture, molecular ecologists are poised to contribute to the study of the fundamental characteristics underlying aquatic communit y structure. The goal of this overview is to assess where we have been, whe re we are now and what the future holds for revealing the basis of communit y structure and function with molecular-level information.