{"id":605781,"date":"2026-09-07T11:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T09:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/news\/microbioma-marino-sentinella-salute-mare\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T10:27:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T08:27:53","slug":"the-marine-microbiome-as-a-sentinel-of-marine-ecosystem-health","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/en\/news\/the-marine-microbiome-as-a-sentinel-of-marine-ecosystem-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u2018marine microbiome\u2019 as a sentinel of marine ecosystem health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once a marine ecosystem collapses, it is often too late to restore it to its original state. Identifying the warning signs that precede degradation is therefore one of the major challenges in ecology, made even more urgent by the effects of climate change and human pressures on coastal environments. One possible answer could come from the marine microbiome, the community of bacteria and other microorganisms living in close association with algae, corals and marine plants.<\/p>\n

These microbial communities are highly sensitive to environmental change and can provide an early warning that an ecosystem is approaching a point of no return, while also contributing to its protection. This is the key message of an article published in the international journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution<\/em><\/a>, authored by Luca Rindi, Alexander H. McGrath and Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi of the Department of Biology at the University of Pisa, in collaboration with Ezequiel M. Marzinelli of the University of Sydney<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we could interpret the signals sent by the microbiome when an ecosystem begins to lose resilience, we could intervene before degradation becomes difficult to reverse. But the microbiome is not just a sentinel: it can also help strengthen ecosystems’ ability to withstand environmental stress. This is the new perspective we are proposing,\u201d says Dr Luca Rindi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The communities of microorganisms associated with corals, algae and marine plants can perform essential functions for their hosts: protecting them from pathogens, facilitating nutrient uptake, supporting growth and helping them better withstand environmental stress. In some cases, for example, specific microbial communities have increased corals’ resistance to heatwaves by reducing bleaching, improved nutrient availability in marine plants, and supported the growth and recovery of macroalgae.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding the role of the microbiome means providing new tools for those responsible for monitoring, managing and protecting coastal ecosystems,\u201d concludes Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi<\/strong>. \u201cIf this perspective is confirmed, it could help make conservation strategies and marine protection policies timelier and more effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study arises from the research carried out by the Marine Ecology Group of the Department of Biology of the University of Pisa, which has long studied the structure, functioning, stability and resilience of coastal marine ecosystems. The group’s research focuses particularly on habitats dominated by foundation species, such as macroalgal forests and seagrass meadows, which are essential to the biodiversity and functioning of coastal ecosystems. As part of this work, the researchers conduct studies and experiments along the Livorno coast and in the Tuscan Archipelago, investigating the processes that govern ecosystem responses to environmental stress and subsequent recovery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the study, microorganisms associated with algae, corals and marine plants could serve as an early-warning system to help prevent the collapse of marine ecosystems and protect corals from bleaching <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":601827,"menu_order":4,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"tag-notizie-persone":[4389,4391,4388],"tags_news":[281,2305],"categorie":[159],"class_list":["post-605781","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-notizie-persone-alexander-harry-mcgrath-196164","tag-notizie-persone-lisandro-benedetti-cecchi-4671","tag-notizie-persone-luca-rindi","tags_news-department-of-biology","tags_news-research-en","categorie-unipinews-en"],"yoast_head":"\nThe \u2018marine microbiome\u2019 as a sentinel of marine ecosystem health ~ UNIPI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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