Towards restoring microbial ecosystem functions: Disentangling the DOMinating microbial community in kelp forests

Our planet is facing multiple crises, notably climate change and habitat degradation. These issues pose significant threats to the environment, including the potential collapse of microbial ecosystems, that are crucial for maintaining ecosystem health, as they manage key biogeochemical cycles such as the recycling of carbon. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including habitat protection and microbiome restoration. However, successful microbiome restoration depends on understanding how these microbial systems interact with their habitats. This is particularly true in many marine ecosystems, such as coastal kelp forests, which are vital for carbon recycling but are declining worldwide. In collaboration with researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California, I will in my research identify the microbial players and molecules responsible for carbon recycling in kelp forests, especially the recycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Ultimately, I will use this knowledge to explore the possibility of restoring a collapsed DOM recycling microbiome. This research will not only enhance our understanding of fundamental microbial processes in kelp forests, but it will advance the microbiome restoration field and eventually aid environmental managers regarding preservation and restoration efforts in nature.