Microbial communities associated to the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida

Undaria pinnatifida is a brown algae native to Asia that has settled in various regions worldwide, periodically contributing with large quantities of C and nutrients during its annual cycle. In this work, we analyzed a coastal site in Patagonia (Argentina) that has been colonized for three decades by U. pinnatifida, focusing on associated microbial communities in three different compartments.This work provides insight into the impact of U. pinnatifida decay on seawater quality, and the role of microbial communities on adapting to massive biomass inputs through rapid DOM turnover.