Marine yeast biodiversity on seaweeds in New Zealand waters

Little is known about the biodiversity of marine yeast from New Zealand. Marine yeasts were isolated from various seaweed surfaces sampled at three locations in the Wellington Region. DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions was conducted, and the resultant sequence data were used in isolate identification. Yeasts isolated during this investigation were not unique; 71 isolates that are frequently detected in marine and terrestrial environments worldwide were identified from a range of seaweed genera. Furthermore, high ITS sequence similarity was observed between yeasts isolated during this investigation and those from geographically distant locations. These findings may indicate that marine yeasts are ubiquitous at a global level, although evidence is insufficient as to whether yeasts demonstrate biogeographic distribution patterns. Yeasts isolated during this investigation may have ecological implications in New Zealand's marine environment. Yeast isolates identified from seaweed genera have been demonstrated to have beneficial properties and applications and their potential should be explored.