Abstract: The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world, surrounded by tropical seas such as the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and Mozambique Channel, covering a vast area with a highly complex environment and abundant resources. In recent years, the exploration and study of its marine resources have attracted global attention. Over the past decade, China’s State Oceanic Administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other institutions have mounted annual large-scale scientific expeditions to investigate the region’s geology, biology, mineral resources, and other fields, actively supporting the Belt and Road Initiative. As research in all fields has advanced, China has achieved notable success in discovering microbial resources from the Indian Ocean. Based on statistical data, this review systematically summarizes the discovery and distribution of novel microbial species in Indian Ocean habitats, discusses the discovery of bioactive natural products and their potential application, and evaluates future prospects for the conservation and exploitation of these microbial resources. Our aim is to enhance China’s scientific understanding of Indian Ocean microbial resources and to help position China at the forefront of research in this field.

Key words: Indian Ocean, marine microorganisms, new species, bioactive compounds, resource assessment