Advancing Ocean Health Science and Management on Marine Microbes
Providing Expert research and advisory services on marine and freshwater microbes.
Tiny Ocean: Marine Microbial Science for a Sustainable Ocean
Tiny Ocean Health Insights specialises in providing marine microbiological and ecological analysis tools and advice to develop sustainable environmental solutions for commercial or public sectors.
Our Mission
TOHI specialize in marine microbiology and ecology, providing expert insights into ocean microbes and smaller marine creatures to support conservation, biodiversity research, and sustainable ocean management.
Our Vision
TOHI envision a world where scientific understanding of marine microbes informs policies and practices, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of ocean ecosystems.
Our Values
TOHI work is guided by a commitment to ethical research, collaborative partnerships, and innovative solutions that address complex marine challenges.
Our Team
TOHI multidisciplinary team combines scientific rigor with practical experience, collaborating with government agencies, universities, and regulatory bodies to advance ocean health.
Our Story
Tiny Ocean Health Insights have nearly 20 years experience in marine microbiology working for academic, regulatory and business environments, bridging the gap between scientific research and actionable solutions for ocean sustainability and health.
Expert Scientific Support for Ocean Health and Sustainability
Tiny Ocean Health Insights was founded by Dr. Rowena Stern-Kluckner to provide practical applications to marine microbial research, helping clients achieve sustainability. She has 20 years research experience in biodiversity and ecology of microorganisms such as protists, algae, bacteria and additionally zooplankton through optical, genetic methods on long-term time series, contributing to 55 publications, nine book chapters and multiple science advisory documents.
Tiny Ocean Health Insights is a proud member of the Defra Pelagic Habitat Expert Group Working Group, a collaborative group of scientists and managers (see case study). We assist international marine organisations with phytoplankton and microbial health reviews for the North Atlantic. Rowena is an Honorary Fellow at Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
Our consulting services assist regulatory bodies, researchers, businesses and other stakeholders in implementing ecosystem-based management approaches, integrating microbial data to support sustainable ocean resource use. For more information on prior publications see our Google Scholar articles and contributions to science advisory reports (ICES, 2025) and (ICES, 2022).
Biodiversity and Ecological Impact Assessments
Microbes are diverse and numerous marine cells and exert strong control on ecosystem processes. They range from bacteria, eukaryotic cells to viruses and are the most challenging to identify. With 20 years in microbial detection in marine prostist, harmful algae and bacteria we can help with all aspects of your aquatic biodiversity surveys. We are experienced in using eDNA, quantitative genetics, optical surveys (microscopy, flow cytometry) including challenging samples. With experience in third party providers, we can arrange for your samples to be tested and provide data analysis service tailored to your needs.
Data analysis and interpretation
We translate diverse microbial data sources (DNA or optical) into clear functional insights, providing clients with actionable ecosystem intelligence. We have expertise in python-based bioinformatics pipelines for increasingly popular eDNA-based and also quantitative microbial community surveys.
Scientific Training and Capacity Building
We provide training programs for your staff and researchers from sampling to detection. This could be survey planning, experimental design or help in developing analysis tools for conservation aims, impact assessments, student project or grant proposal applications at any budget. We have long-term links to academic, charitable and governmental stakeholders and have been advising early career researchers achieve their project goals. We are happy to work with them on our projects or their training needs.
Sustainability and regulatory compliance
Navigating marine regulation is complex. Our knowledge of marine health regulations can help you achieve environmental compliance through analysis tools. Tiny Ocean Health Insights have experience with Pelagic health marine regulation such as the Water Framework Directive, the UK Marine Strategy and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (see this link). We work closely with, and advise, a variety of stakeholders to help them interpret or develop methods to assess the health of their system of interest, including impacts of microbes on wider ecosystem services.
Applications of Marine Microbial Science
Explore how Tiny Ocean Health Insights has collaborated with organisations to advance ocean health through scientific expertise in marine microbiology and ecology.
Case study: Developing tiny plankton biological indicators for inclusion into official health assessments of UK seas
Tiny Ocean Health Insights are working with the Environment Agency and UK Pelagic Habitat Expert Group Project (UKPHEG) to identify lifeforms from the smallest plankton that can be used in formal environmental assessments of UK seas.
Photo credit to Elovich-stock.adobe.com
Collaborate with us and advance ocean health
Whether you’re interested in our marine microbiology services, seeking expert advice for conservation efforts, making impactful proposals or partnerships, or exploring collaborative research opportunities, we’re here to assist.
Phone
+44 (0)7428177475