Montana State University received a three-year, $486,782 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences under the Geosciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.050). The grant will fund collaborative research titled "Microdiversity Drives Ecosystem Function: SAR11 Bacteria as Models for Oceanic Nitrogen Loss." The research aims to strengthen understanding of the integrated Earth system and expand knowledge of atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences by investigating how microdiversity in SAR11 bacteria populations impacts nitrogen loss processes in the ocean. The award period is from December 1, 2021 through November 30, 2024 and the place of performance is Bozeman, Montana.