Ecological Role of Microbes Associated with Marine Fauna: From Coastal to Deep-Sea Ecosystems

In marine environments, host-associated microbiomes are key contributors to metaorganism homeostasis. They support essential host functions, ranging from nutrient acquisition and the regulation of growth, development, behavior to defense against pathogens toxic compounds mitigation to adaptation to extreme ecosystems. These intimate host–microbe associations are widespread from coastal to deep-sea environments and occur in organisms belonging to meio-, macro-, and megafauna, which host extraordinarily diverse microbial communities that are important for sustaining host physiology and have cascading effects on ecosystem functioning and global biogeochemical cycles.Despite recent advances in multi-omics technologies, integrated with culture-based approaches, the ecological roles of microbes associated with marine fauna remain poorly understood across habitats. Marine environments, ranging from well-lit, nutrient-rich coastal zones to the dark and extreme ocean interior provide unique opportunity for exploring how environmental drivers shape host–microbe interactions. Moreover, climate change and anthropogenic impacts are altering these associations in ways that remain largely uncharacterized, yet may be crucial for improving conservation and restoration actions in marine ecosystems, which are increasingly prioritized in international policies. This Research Topic brings together cutting-edge research on the diversity, functions, and ecological role of prokaryotes, micro-eukaryotes and fungi associated with marine organisms, from shallow coastal ecosystems to the deep sea. Particular emphasis is placed on uncovering the mechanisms that govern host–microbe interactions and their effects on marine ecosystem health and resilience. We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Host–microbiome interactions across marine habitats and ecosystems.o Microbial associations driving adaptation to extreme environments (e.g., hydrothermal vents, cold seeps).o Patterns and drivers of host-associated microbes.o Functional roles of microbiomes in acclimatization, host physiology and C and nutrient dynamics.o Response of holobionts to climate change and anthropogenic impacts.o Microbiome-mediated resilience, disease dynamics, and host stress responses.o Methodological innovations in metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and single-cell studies.o Microbiome-assisted restoration of degraded marine ecosystems. Topic editors: Stefano Varrella, Savvas Genitsaris, Amit Kumar Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83396/ecological-role-of-microbes-associated-with-marine-fauna-from-coastal-to-deep-sea-ecosystems