Seaweeds as holobionts: Current state, challenges, and potential applications

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Microbiology
• Ecology

Background:

• Seaweeds are ecologically and economically vital, supporting industries and ecosystem services.
• Microorganisms are crucial for seaweed health, necessitating a holobiont perspective.
• Research on seaweed-host-microbiome interactions has grown significantly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of seaweed holobiont research.
• To highlight the limitations of existing studies, particularly the lack of experimental approaches.
• To advocate for experimental methods to understand causation and mechanisms in seaweed holobionts.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on seaweed holobionts over the past two decades.
• Analysis of research trends, focusing on species studied, microbial interactions, and methodologies.
• Identification of research gaps, particularly the scarcity of experimental manipulations.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in seaweed holobiont studies, driven by technological advancements and commercial interest.
• Most studies focus on a few key seaweed species, bacterial interactions, and descriptive approaches.
• Experimental studies are rare, often limited to abiotic factor manipulation or laboratory settings.

Conclusions:

• Current research on seaweed holobionts is largely descriptive, with limited experimental data.
• There is a critical need for experimental studies to elucidate causal relationships and mechanisms.
• Experimental approaches are essential for effective seaweed management and integrating holobiont research into broader marine science.