Functional Insights into the Kelp Microbiome from Metagenome-Assembled Genomes

Abstract

Kelp (brown algae in the order Laminariales ) are foundational species that create essential habitat in temperate and arctic coastal marine ecosystems. These photosynthetic giants host millions of microbial taxa whose functions are relatively unknown, despite their potential importance for host-microbe interactions and nutrient cycling in kelp forest ecosystems.