New Approach Methodologies in Marine and Freshwater Fungi

Aquatic fungi remain one of the most understudied microbial groups in freshwater and marine ecosystems, largely because conventional culturing and morphological approaches fail to capture the full breadth of fungal diversity in situ. This Research Topic addresses that gap by bringing together work that applies cutting-edge methodologies to aquatic fungal research, from biodiversity surveys to functional ecology.We welcome original research, reviews, and methods articles that employ novel tools to study fungi across marine and freshwater environments. Relevant approaches include but are not limited to: environmental DNA (eDNA) meta-barcoding and amplicon sequencing for community profiling; high-pressure incubation systems designed to replicate deep-sea conditions; single-cell sorting and genomics for unculturable marine lineages; stable isotope probing; metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics; and microfluidics-based isolation techniques.Studies that combine methodological innovation with ecological or biogeochemical questions; such as fungal roles in nutrient cycling, decomposition, or host-pathogen dynamics, are particularly encouraged. We also welcome contributions that benchmark or critically evaluate existing methods in aquatic fungal systems.By consolidating methodological advances in one collection, this Research Topic aims to accelerate standardisation across the field and open new lines of inquiry into the ecological and evolutionary roles of fungi in aquatic habitats. Topic editors: Belle Damodara Shenoy, Mark Seasat Calabon, Surajit Das, Rajesh Jeewon Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83301/new-approach-methodologies-in-marine-and-freshwater-fungi