Cultivating the macroalgal holobiont: Effects of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture on the microbiome of Ulva rigida (Chlorophyta)

abstract to describe the study in detail: Ulva is a ubiquitous macroalgal genus of valuable commercial interest. Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems bear promise in boosting large-scale production of macroalgae due to their high productivity and economic and environmental sustainability. Complex host-microbiome interactions play a decisive role in macroalgae development, especially in Ulva spp. due to algal growth and morphogenesis promoting factors released by associated bacteria. However, our current understanding of microbial community assembly and structure in cultured macroalgae is scant. Our objectives were to determine 1) whether and to what extent IMTA settings influence the microbiome associated to U. rigida and its rearing water; 2) explore the dynamics of beneficial versus detrimental microbes to algal growth and development under IMTA; and finally 3) to improve the current knowledge of the host-microbiome interactions for further development of the macroalgal aquaculture field.