Three MIT researchers were named Marine Microbiology Initiative investigators on Monday by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation — an honor that includes funding for pioneering research in the field of marine microbial ecology. Edward DeLong, professor in CEE and biological engineering; Roman Stocker, associate professor in CEE; and Michael Follows, a senior research scientist in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, were among 16 awardees nationwide. MIT was the only institution to have more than one investigator named this year. The funding — up to $35 million over five years combined for all the recipients — will enable researchers to explore how the trillions of microscopic organisms at the base of the ocean’s food webs interact with each other and their environment, according to a press release from the foundation. The research will also provide new insights — and lead to new and exciting questions — about our basic understanding of ocean ecosystems and issues such as climate change.