Microbiome Composition in a Common Mediterranean Bryozoan Following an Unprecedented Marine Heatwave

Abstract

Marine heatwaves are intensifying due to global warming and increasingly drive mass mortality events in marine ecosystems. Here we examine the impact of thermal stress on the microbiome of the Mediterranean gorgonian coral Paramuricea clavata, with particular attention to microeukaryotes. We identify significant changes in both bacterial and eukaryotic microbiome composition in response to elevated temperatures, and discuss the implications for coral health and ecosystem function.

Javier del Campo

Group Leader

My research aims at understanding the global diversity and distribution of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes employing curated phylogenetic frameworks focusing on novel environmental taxa.