Algal Host Research Articles

Reconstructing Historical Changes in the Macroalgal Vegetation of a Central Mediterranean Coastal Area Based on Herbarium Collections

Well-conserved herbarium specimens of marine macroalgae represent a valuable resource for multiple types of investigation. When algal herbaria host specimens collected over long time spans from a certain geographic area, they have the potential to document historical changes in the benthic vegetation of that area. In this study, historical changes in the macroalgal vegetation of a central Mediterranean coast (Conero Riviera, Adriatic Sea) were assessed based on a critical re-examination of the herbarium of Irma Pierpaoli (collection period 1925–1951) and the phycological herbarium of the Polytechnic University of Marche (ANC ALG, collections made mostly in the period 1999–2024). For both herbaria, the identifications of many specimens were revised based on the current species circumscriptions. The comparison indicates that some major changes occurred between the two collection periods: a switch in the morphological functional structure of the vegetation (increase in the number of filamentous species, decrease in leathery macrophytes, and the near disappearance of calcareous articulated algae), local extinction of some species (at least 23, possibly more), and introduction of 11 species of non-indigenous seaweeds. Anthropogenic impacts (habitat destruction, increase in sediment load, and impacts of port activities and maritime traffic) are considered the main factors responsible for these changes.

Natural diversifying evolution of nonribosomal peptide synthetases in a defensive symbiont reveals nonmodular functional constraints.

The modular architecture of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) has inspired efforts to study their evolution and engineering. In this study, we analyze in detail a unique family of NRPSs from the defensive intracellular bacterial symbiont, Candidatus Endobryopsis kahalalidifaciens (Ca. E. kahalalidifaciens). We show that intensive and indiscriminate recombination events erase trivial sequence covariations induced by phylogenetic relatedness, revealing nonmodular functional constraints and clear recombination units. Moreover, we reveal unique substrate specificity determinants for multiple enzymatic domains, allowing us to accurately predict and experimentally discover the products of an orphan NRPS in Ca. E. kahalalidifaciens directly from environmental samples of its algal host. Finally, we expanded our analysis to 1,531 diverse NRPS pathways and revealed similar functional constraints to those observed in Ca. E. kahalalidifaciens' NRPSs. Our findings reveal the sequence bases of genetic exchange, functional constraints, and substrate specificity in Ca. E. kahalalidifaciens' NRPSs, and highlight them as a uniquely primed system for diversifying evolution.

Genomes of nitrogen-fixing eukaryotes reveal a non-canonical model of organellogenesis.

Endosymbiont gene transfer and import of host-encoded proteins are considered hallmarks of organelles necessary for stable integration of two cells. However, newer endosymbiotic models have challenged the origin and timing of such genetic integration during organellogenesis. Epithemia diatoms contain diazoplasts, closely related to recently-described nitrogen-fixing organelles, that are also stably integrated and co-speciating with their host algae. We report genomic analyses of two species, freshwater E.clementina and marine E.pelagica, which are highly divergent but share a common endosymbiotic origin. We found minimal evidence of genetic integration: nonfunctional diazoplast-to-nuclear DNA transfers in the E.clementina genome and 6 host-encoded proteins of unknown function in the E.clementina diazoplast proteome, far fewer than in other recently-acquired organelles. Epithemia diazoplasts are a valuable counterpoint to existing organellogenesis models, demonstrating that endosymbionts can be stably integrated and inherited absent significant genetic integration. The minimal genetic integration makes diazoplasts valuable blueprints for bioengineering endosymbiotic compartments de novo.

Phycosphere bacterial composition and function in colony and solitary Phaeocystis globosa strains providing novel insights into the algal blooms

Phycosphere bacteria can regulate the dynamics of different algal blooms that impact marine ecosystems. Phaeocystis globosa can alternate between solitary free-living cells and colonies and the latter morphotype is dominate during blooms. The mechanisms underlying the formation of these blooms have received much attention. High throughput sequencing results showed that the bacterial community composition differed significantly between colony and solitary strains in bacterial composition and function. It was found that the genera SM1A02 and Haliea were detected only among the colony strains and contribute to ammonium accumulation in colonies, and the genus Sulfitobacter was abundant among the colony strains that were excellent at producing DMS. In addition, the bacterial communities of the two colony strains exhibited stronger abilities for carbon and sulfur metabolism, energy metabolism, vitamin B synthesis, and signal transduction, providing inorganic and organic nutrients and facilitating tight communication with the host algae, thereby promoting growth and bloom development.

Chemical ecology of plankton parasitism in algae

Abstract Plankton parasites such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and unicellular eukaryotes are associated symbionts colonizing algal groups in aquatic ecosystems. They occur within a network of microbe–microbe interactions in which they parasitize phytoplankton and seaweeds, i.e., primary producers generating organic carbon and forming the basis of marine food webs. These parasites use algae as a source of nutrients and reproduce at the expense of their host, causing infectious symptoms leading to disease and death. Plankton parasites can reduce the algal populations, and the infection of one specific species may, in turn, favor the development of another, influencing the seasonal succession of algal blooms in oceans, seas, and lakes. Many parasites have free-living stages that zooplankton graze upon, representing a significant trophic link in food webs. The biology and life cycle of plankton parasites are well investigated in marine and freshwater algal hosts. Still, the chemical signaling mediating these microbial interactions and the effect of co-occurring symbionts remain underexplored. This review focuses on the diversity of plankton parasites infecting algae, with a particular emphasis on unicellular eukaryotes. The ecological role of plankton parasites, the mechanisms regulating cellular infection and host resistance, and the interplay of alga-parasite interactions with coexisting microorganisms are discussed.

A giant virus infecting the amoeboflagellate Naegleria

Giant viruses (Nucleocytoviricota) are significant lethality agents of various eukaryotic hosts. Although metagenomics indicates their ubiquitous distribution, available giant virus isolates are restricted to a very small number of protist and algal hosts. Here we report on the first viral isolate that replicates in the amoeboflagellate Naegleria. This genus comprises the notorious human pathogen Naegleria fowleri, the causative agent of the rare but fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. We have elucidated the structure and infection cycle of this giant virus, Catovirus naegleriensis (a.k.a. Naegleriavirus, NiV), and show its unique adaptations to its Naegleria host using fluorescence in situ hybridization, electron microscopy, genomics, and proteomics. Naegleriavirus is only the fourth isolate of the highly diverse subfamily Klosneuvirinae, and like its relatives the NiV genome contains a large number of translation genes, but lacks transfer RNAs (tRNAs). NiV has acquired genes from its Naegleria host, which code for heat shock proteins and apoptosis inhibiting factors, presumably for host interactions. Notably, NiV infection was lethal to all Naegleria species tested, including the human pathogen N. fowleri. This study expands our experimental framework for investigating giant viruses and may help to better understand the basic biology of the human pathogen N. fowleri.

Community structure of endophytic bacteria of Sargassum thubergii in the intertidal zone of Qingdao in China

Endophytic bacteria are one of the symbiotic microbial groups closely related to host algae. However, less research on the endophytic bacteria of marine algae. In this study, the endophytic bacterial community of Sargassum thunbergii was investigated using the culture method and high-throughput sequencing. Thirty-nine endophytic bacterial strains, belonging to two phyla, five genera and sixteen species, were isolated, and Firmicutes, Bacillus and Metabacillus indicus were the dominant taxa at the phylum, genus and species level, respectively. High-throughput sequencing revealed 39 phyla and 574 genera of endophytic bacteria, and the dominant phylum was Proteobacteria, while the dominant genus was Ralstonia. The results also indicated that the endophytic bacteria of S. thunbergii included various groups with nitrogen fixation, salt tolerance, pollutant degradation, and antibacterial properties but also contained some pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, the endophytic bacterial community shared a large number of groups with the epiphytic bacteria and bacteria in the surrounding seawater, but the three groups of samples could be clustered separately. In conclusion, there are a variety of functional endophytic bacteria living in S. thunbergii, and the internal condition of algae is a selective factor for the formation of endophytic bacterial communities. This study enriched the database of endophytic bacteria in marine macroalgae, paving the way for further understanding of the interrelationships between endophytic bacteria, macroalgae, and the environment.

A removable and cosmopolitan dsRNA Toti-like virus causes asymptomatic but productive infection in a model diatom strain

Diatoms contribute to 20 % of global primary productivity. Although some diatom viruses have been identified, the molecular mechanisms underlying their interactions with the host remain poorly understood. In this study, we report the discovery of an RNA molecule in the DNA extracts of the Phaeodactylum tricornutum strain Pt1, which possesses a well-annotated genome and has been used as a diatom model system since 1956. We confirmed this molecule to be a double-stranded linear RNA molecule and, through sequencing, demonstrated it to be a virus in the Totiviridae family that is prevalent among marine stramenopiles. We also detected this virus in Phaeodactylum tricornutum strain Pt3, which was collected in 1930s from a similar geographic location to Pt1, suggesting its prevalence within the region. By employing various inhibitors of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, we successfully generated a virus-free line isogenic to Pt1, establishing a model system to investigate the impact of RNA viruses on diatom physiology. The virus-free lines did not display obvious growth advantages or defects, indicating a tendency of the virus towards asymptomatic infection. Furthermore, we generated a robust antibody against the coat protein of this virus. By performing immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry, we found that translation-related proteins are enriched as potential interacting partners of the coat protein. Our results suggest that potential viral impacts in molecular research should be considered when Pt1 and Pt3 are used for studying translation-related processes. Additionally, our study unveiled a mode of asymptomatic but productive infection between viruses and marine algal hosts that differs from the commonly-reported virulent, lytic infections.

The host sex contributes to the endophytic bacterial community in Sargassum thunbergii and their receptacles.

Endophytic bacteria have a complex coevolutionary relationship with their host macroalgae. Dioecious macroalgae are important producers in marine ecosystems, but there is still a lack of research on how sex influences their endophytic bacteria. In this study, the endophytic bacterial communities in male and female S. thunbergii and their reproductive tissues (receptacles) were compared using culture methods and high-throughput sequencing. The endophytic bacterial communities detected by the two methods were different. Among the 78 isolated strains, the dominant phylum, genus, and species were Bacillota, Alkalihalobacillus, and Alkalihalobacillus algicola, respectively, in the algal bodies, while in the receptacles, they were Bacillota, Vibrio, and Vibrio alginolyticus. However, 24 phyla and 349 genera of endophytic bacteria were identified by high-throughput sequencing, and the dominant phylum and genus were Pseudomonadota and Sva0996_ Marine_ Group, respectively, in both the algal body and the receptacles. The two methods showed similar compositions of endophytic bacterial communities between the samples of different sexes, but the relative abundances of dominant and specific taxa were different. The high-throughput sequencing results showed more clearly that the sex of the host alga had an effect on its endophyte community assembly and a greater effect on the endophytic bacterial community in the receptacles. Moreover, most specific bacteria and predicted functional genes that differed between the samples from the males and females were related to metabolism, suggesting that metabolic differences are the main causes of sex differences in the endophytic bacterial community. Our research is the first to show that host sex contributes to the composition of endophytic bacterial communities in dioecious marine macroalgae. The results enrich the database of endophytic bacteria of dioecious marine macroalgae and pave the way for better understanding the assembly mechanism of the endophytic bacterial community of algae.

Metagenomic analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes and their contribution to marine sediment biodiversity

Marine sediments constitute the world’s most substantial long-term carbon repository. The microorganisms dwelling in these sediments mediate the transformation of fixed oceanic carbon, but their contribution to the carbon cycle is not fully understood. Previous culture-independent investigations into sedimentary microorganisms have underscored the significance of carbohydrates in the carbon cycle. In this study, we employ a metagenomic methodology to investigate the distribution and abundance of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) in 37 marine sediments sites. These sediments exhibit varying oxygen availability and were isolated in diverse regions worldwide. Our comparative analysis is based on the metabolic potential for oxygen utilisation, derived from genes present in both oxic and anoxic environments. We found that extracellular CAZyme modules targeting the degradation of plant and algal detritus, necromass, and host glycans were abundant across all metagenomic samples. The analysis of these results indicates that the oxic/anoxic conditions not only influence the taxonomic composition of the microbial communities, but also affect the occurrence of CAZyme modules involved in the transformation of necromass, algae and plant detritus. To gain insight into the sediment microbial taxa, we reconstructed metagenome assembled genomes (MAG) and examined the presence of primary extracellular carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZyme) modules. Our findings reveal that the primary CAZyme modules and the CAZyme gene clusters discovered in our metagenomes were prevalent in the Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria classes. We compared those MAGs to organisms from the same taxonomic classes found in soil, and we found that they were similar in its CAZyme repertoire, but the soil MAG contained a more abundant and diverse CAZyme content. Furthermore, the data indicate that abundant classes in our metagenomic samples, namely Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia and Gammaproteobacteria, play a pivotal role in carbohydrate transformation within the initial few metres of the sediments.

Potential energetic and oxygenic benefits to unstable photosymbiosis in the cladobranch slug, Berghia stephanieae (Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae)

ABSTRACT Some cladobranch sea slugs host algae (Symbiodiniaceae), forming stable or unstable photosymbiotic relationships. Although some benefits from retaining symbionts have been described in stable photosymbioses, unstable photosymbioses remain largely uninvestigated. We examined two potential benefits – nutrition and oxygen produced via photosynthesis – in the unstable cladobranch model species, Berghia stephanieae. To investigate potential nutritive benefits, we conducted transmission electron microscopy and observed both partially digested symbionts and lipid droplets, indicating that B. stephanieae benefits energetically from hosting zooxanthellae through digestion. Since increased temperatures can cause oxygen limitation, any oxygenic benefits B. stephanieae receives from photosynthesis could influence their thermal tolerance, allowing photosynthetic slugs to withstand higher temperatures than specimens where photosynthesis is limited or absent. To assess this, we measured the maximum temperature they can withstand before succumbing to heat-shock under three light intensities (0, 100 and 700 µmol m-2s-1). Oxygen uptake was measured before and after heat-shock to determine whether uptake was affected by thermal stress. Slugs exposed to high light displayed significantly lower thermal limits than those at zero or moderate light, indicating exposure to acute high light negatively impacts thermal tolerance. Lastly, we assessed if and how light affects juvenile development and survival. Juveniles exposed to moderate light survived longest, while both other light intensities reduced survival. These investigations demonstrate that unstable photosymbiosis provides B. stephanieae with nutritive benefits during different ontogenetic stages. Oxygenic benefits are less clear, as slugs exposed to thermal stress in dark and under moderate light did not display different thermal tolerances.

Temperature modulates dominance of a superinfecting Arctic virus in its unicellular algal host.

Complex virus-virus interactions can arise when multiple viruses coinfect the same host, impacting infection outcomes with broader ecological and evolutionary significance for viruses and host. Yet, our knowledge regarding virus competition is still limited, especially for single-celled eukaryotic host-virus systems. Here, we report on mutual interference of two dsDNA viruses, MpoV-45T and MpoV-46T, competing for their Arctic algal host Micromonas polaris. Both viruses affected each other's gene expression and displayed reduced genome replication during coinfection. MpoV-45T was the dominant virus, likely due to interference in the DNA replication of is competitor. Even when its coinfection was delayed, the dominant virus still prevailed while genome production of the other virus was strongly suppressed. This contrasts with typical superinfection exclusion, where the primary infection prevents secondary infection by other viruses. Higher temperature made the suppressed virus a stronger competitor, signifying that global warming is likely to alter virus-virus interactions in Arctic waters.

A cryptic radiation of Caribbean sea slugs revealed by integrative analysis: Cyerce 'antillensis' (Sacoglossa: Caliphyllidae) is six distinct species.

Integrative studies have revealed cryptic radiations in several Caribbean lineages of heterobranch sea slugs, raising questions about the evolutionary mechanisms that promote speciation within the tropical Western Atlantic. Cyerce Bergh, 1871 is a genus comprising 12 named species in the family Caliphyllidae that lack the photosynthetic ability of other sacoglossans but are noted for vibrant colours on the large cerata (dorsal leaf-like appendages) that characterize many species. Two species are widely reported from the Caribbean: Cyerce cristallina (Trinchese, 1881) and Cyerce antillensis Engel, 1927. Here, we present an integrative assessment of diversity in Caribbean Cyerce. Four methods of molecular species delimitation supported seven species in samples from the Caribbean and adjacent subtropical Western Atlantic. Six delimited species formed a monophyletic lineage in phylogenetic analyses but were > 9% divergent at the barcoding COI locus and could be differentiated using ecological, reproductive and/or morphological traits. We redescribe C. antillensis, a senior synonym for the poorly known Cyerce habanensis Ortea & Templado, 1988, and describe five new species. Evolutionary shifts in algal host use, penial armature and larval life history might have acted synergistically to promote the rapid divergence of endemic species with restricted distributions in this radiation, substantially increasing global diversity of the genus.

Abundant Sulfitobacter marine bacteria protect Emiliania huxleyi algae from pathogenic bacteria

Emiliania huxleyi is a unicellular micro-alga that forms massive oceanic blooms and plays key roles in global biogeochemical cycles. Mounting studies demonstrate various stimulatory and inhibitory influences that bacteria have on the E. huxleyi physiology. To investigate these algal-bacterial interactions, laboratory co-cultures have been established by us and by others. Owing to these co-cultures, various mechanisms of algal-bacterial interactions have been revealed, many involving bacterial pathogenicity towards algae. However, co-cultures represent a significantly simplified system, lacking the complexity of bacterial communities. In order to investigate bacterial pathogenicity within an ecologically relevant context, it becomes imperative to enhance the microbial complexity of co-culture setups. Phaeobacter inhibens bacteria are known pathogens that cause the death of E. huxleyi algae in laboratory co-culture systems. The bacteria depend on algal exudates for growth, but when algae senesce, bacteria switch to a pathogenic state and induce algal death. Here we investigate whether P. inhibens bacteria can induce algal death in the presence of a complex bacterial community. We show that an E. huxleyi-associated bacterial community protects the alga from the pathogen, although the pathogen occurs within the community. To study how the bacterial community regulates pathogenicity, we reduced the complex bacterial community to a five-member synthetic community (syncom). The syncom is comprised of a single algal host and five isolated bacterial species, which represent major bacterial groups that are naturally associated with E. huxleyi. We discovered that a single bacterial species in the reduced community, Sulfitobacter pontiacus, protects the alga from the pathogen. We further found that algal protection from P. inhibens pathogenicity is a shared trait among several Sulfitobacter species. Algal protection by bacteria might be a common phenomenon with ecological significance, which is overlooked in reduced co-culture systems.

Highly divergent CRESS DNA and picorna-like viruses associated with bleached thalli of the green seaweed Ulva.

Marine macroalgae (seaweeds) are important primary producers and foundation species in coastal ecosystems around the world. Seaweeds currently contribute to an estimated 51% of the global mariculture production, with a long-term growth rate of 6% per year, and an estimated market value of more than US$11.3 billion. Viral infections could have a substantial impact on the ecology and aquaculture of seaweeds, but surprisingly little is known about virus diversity in macroalgal hosts. Using metagenomic sequencing, we characterized viral communities associated with healthy and bleached specimens of the commercially important green seaweed Ulva. We identified 20 putative new and divergent viruses, of which the majority belonged to the Circular Rep-Encoding Single-Stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses [single-stranded (ss)DNA genomes], Durnavirales [double-stranded (ds)RNA], and Picornavirales (ssRNA). Other newly identified RNA viruses were related to the Ghabrivirales, the Mitoviridae, and the Tombusviridae. Bleached Ulva samples contained particularly high viral read numbers. While reads matching assembled CRESS DNA viruses and picorna-like viruses were nearly absent from the healthy Ulva samples (confirmed by qPCR), they were very abundant in the bleached specimens. Therefore, bleaching in Ulva could be caused by one or a combination of the identified viruses but may also be the result of another causative agent or abiotic stress, with the viruses simply proliferating in already unhealthy seaweed tissue. This study highlights how little we know about the diversity and ecology of seaweed viruses, especially in relation to the health and diseases of the algal host, and emphasizes the need to better characterize the algal virosphere. IMPORTANCE Green seaweeds of the genus Ulva are considered a model system to study microbial interactions with the algal host. Remarkably little is known, however, about viral communities associated with green seaweeds, especially in relation to the health of the host. In this study, we characterized the viral communities associated with healthy and bleached Ulva. Our findings revealed the presence of 20 putative novel viruses associated with Ulva, encompassing both DNA and RNA viruses. The majority of these viruses were found to be especially abundant in bleached Ulva specimens. This is the first step toward understanding the role of viruses in the ecology and aquaculture of this green seaweed.

The algal microbiome protects Desmodesmus intermedius from high light and temperature stress

The mutualistic impacts of bacterial communities on algal growth and biomass accumulation are well documented, but it is unknown how temperature and light stress influence these mutualistic interactions. Here, we generated a bacteria-free (axenic) culture of the green alga Desmodesmus intermedius C046 and compared its growth and yield in the laboratory to its native xenic counterpart - featuring a microbiome that has been maintained with its algal host for at least 5 years – under unstressed and high light, high temperature stress conditions. We then added exogenous microbiomes from high light marine environments to the axenic culture to quantify the contribution of these newly generated microbial consortia in improving D. intermedius growth, yield, and resilience to high light and heat. The native microbiome increased growth and biomass accumulation, under both unstressed and stressed conditions. Three of the five newly derived microbiomes had increased growth compared to the axenic and negligible, decreased, or increased growth impacts compared to the xenic culture. Stress conditions led to decreased algal exudation, larger algal cells when grown alone, but smaller algal cells with an associated microbiome. Our results suggest that the algal microbiome plays a role in microalgal response to heat and light stress, and efforts for screening new algal strains for high biomass productivity under those stress conditions should include a strategy for microbiome optimization.

The contribution of host tissue location and sex to epiphytic bacterial community assembly of Sargassum thunbergii

The formation of epiphytic bacterial communities on macroalgae is closely related to host identity, but the effects of tissue location and sex of the host alga on this process, especially the relative contributions of these two factors, have not been studied. Here, the epiphytic bacterial community on three different tissues (tip, receptacle and holdfast) of male and female Sargassum thunbergii in the intertidal zone of Qingdao was investigated using high-throughput sequencing, and the results revealed obvious tissue and sex specificity of the epiphytic bacteria and significant differences from seawater bacterial samples. The biodiversity indexes, specific bacteria, biomarkers, indicator taxa and predicted function of epiphytic bacteria differed significantly among tissues of S. thunbergii and between sexes for the same tissue, confirming that both algal tissue location and sex impacted epiphytic bacterial community assembly on S. thunbergii. Additionally, β-diversity analysis showed that tissue location contributed more than host sex to epiphytic bacterial community structure, and the contributions of these two factors varied among tissues. Sex contributed less to epiphytic bacteria on the holdfast than on the tip and receptacle. Furthermore, the tissue and sex specificity of epiphytic bacteria on S. thunbergii were likely related mainly to host metabolism but also to the interaction between bacteria and algae and adaptability to the environment. This study shed light on the drivers of macroalga-associated bacterial community structure and broaden our understanding of the relationship between macroalgae and their epiphytic bacteria.

Virophages-Known and Unknown Facts.

The paper presents virophages, which, like their host, giant viruses, are "new" infectious agents whose role in nature, including mammalian health, is important. Virophages, along with their protozoan and algal hosts, are found in fresh inland waters and oceanic and marine waters, including thermal waters and deep-sea vents, as well as in soil, plants, and in humans and animals (ruminants). Representing "superparasitism", almost all of the 39 described virophages (except Zamilon) interact negatively with giant viruses by affecting their replication and morphogenesis and their "adaptive immunity". This causes them to become regulators and, at the same time, defenders of the host of giant viruses protozoa and algae, which are organisms that determine the homeostasis of the aquatic environment. They are classified in the family Lavidaviridae with two genus (Sputnikovirus, Mavirus). However, in 2023, a proposal was presented that they should form the class Maveriviricetes, with four orders and seven families. Their specific structure, including their microsatellite (SSR-Simple Sequence Repeats) and the CVV (cell-virus-virophage, or transpovirion) system described with them, as well as their function, makes them, together with the biological features of giant viruses, form the basis for discussing the existence of a fourth domain in addition to Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. The paper also presents the hypothetical possibility of using them as a vector for vaccine antigens.

The Reemergence of Phycopathology: When Algal Biology Meets Ecology and Biosecurity.

Viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic symbionts interact with algae in a variety of ways to cause disease complexes, often shaping marine and freshwater ecosystems. The advent of phyconomy (a.k.a. seaweed agronomy) represents a need for a greater understanding of algal disease interactions, where underestimated cryptic diversity and lack of phycopathological basis are prospective constraints for algal domestication. Here, we highlight the limited yet increasing knowledge of algal pathogen biodiversity and the ecological interaction with their algal hosts. Finally, we discuss how ecology and cultivation experience contribute to and reinforce aquaculture practice, with the potential to reshape biosecurity policies of seaweed cultivation worldwide.

Understanding nitrogen dynamics in coral holobionts: comprehensive review of processes, advancements, gaps, and future directions

Coral reefs are known for being highly productive ecosystems in oligotrophic oceans, which is commonly referred to as the Darwin’s Paradox. Nitrogen is an essential component of organisms, but it limits primary productivity in most euphotic ocean, including the coral reef system. Therefore, understanding nitrogen’s transfer and transformation within the coral holobiont is essential to comprehend the holobiont homeostasis and functioning mechanisms, which may help to explain the Darwin’s Paradox. Previous studies have pointed out the fundamental importance of nitrogen cycling between coral host and symbiotic algae. Recently, increasing researches, particularly in quantitative aspect, have significantly improved our understandings of the various roles of nitrogen pathways in regulating the inter-relationship among coral host and symbiotic algae and the associated microbiome. In this paper, we synthesized knowledge advances of different nitrogen processes in coral holobionts standing on the nitrogen cycle perspective. We extracted consensus and contradictions from published research results regarding nitrogen flows of coral holobiont. This review presented the temporal and spatial variation of nitrogen fixation and analyzed the global nitrogen processes rates in coral holobionts. We also summarized projections of specific nitrogen processes of coral holobionts facing climate change from limited reports. We realized that there are significant gaps in our understanding of nitrogen processes in coral holobionts, which hindering our comprehension of nitrogen balance in coral holobionts and, therefore, the coral reef systems. These gaps include the roles and relative importance of nitrification, denitrification, and DNRA in coral holobionts, as well as the self-regulation mechanisms to maintain nitrogen-homeostasis in short-term and long-term, particularly in the context of environmental changes. At the end, we provide our opinions on research methods regarding quantitative coral research in the future.