The effect of microbial diversity vs function on marine holobionts

该项目旨在将现代生态学的一个中心主题--生物多样性与群落功能之间的关系--与完整生物的新生物学范式相结合，在这种范式中，有机体是宿主及其相关微生物群的整体。该项目融合了海洋和微生物生态学，旨在通过实验分离微生物多样性与功能对优势海洋全息生物--形成栖息地的海藻--性能的影响。预期的结果是描述关键的微生物分类群和功能及其对海藻性能的影响，以及环境压力如何影响这一点。这将带来显著的好处，例如为了解和管理澳大利亚的主要生态系统提供关键信息和新工具。

This project aims to integrate a central theme of modern ecology - the relationship between biodiversity and functioning of communities - with the new biological paradigm of holobionts, where organisms are the entirety of the host plus its associated microbiome. This project blends marine and microbial ecology, aiming to experimentally decouple effects of microbial diversity versus function on the performance of dominant marine holobionts, habitat-forming seaweeds. Expected outcomes are to characterise key microbial taxa and functions and their effects on seaweed performance, and how this is affected by environmental stress. This will provide significant benefits, such as providing critical information and new tools for understanding and managing a major Australian ecosystem.