MINI REVIEW article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Biotechnology and Bioproducts
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1635698
This article is part of the Research TopicBioactives of the Multicellular Marine FloraView all 5 articles
To die or not to die: How seaweed holobionts chemistry influences lifespan and stress resilience
Provisionally accepted
- 1Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
- 2Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, Plouzan, France
- 3Universite de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
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Understanding premature senescencein macroalgae is essential for progress in marine biology, ecosystem management, and sustainable aquaculture. This mini-review addresses four key and interconnected dimensions: (i) the pivotal role of photosynthesis in mediating seaweed responses to environmental stress and its influence on delaying or inducing premature senescence; (ii) the taxon-specific yet environmentally modulated biochemical profiles that collectively shape seaweed lifespan; (iii) the dynamic interactions between seaweeds and their associated microbiomes, and how these holobiont relationships contribute to host resilience and longevity; and (iv) the importance of understanding how environmental factors trigger premature senescence, alongside the current state of research on the disciplines involved. Although studies remain limited -particularly regarding how macroalgal holobionts are reshaped in terms of stability and interaction with their environment-senescence has been documented in several macroalgal species. Nevertheless, it is essential to broaden the holobiont approach, particularly in long-lived taxa, such as large brown algae and coralline red algae. This review advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to unravel the mechanisms governing macroalgal aging and premature senescence. This approach should integrate physiology, biochemistry, microbial ecology, and environmental science, while also accounting for factors such as genetic regulation and reproductive strategies., in order to better-understand seaweed premature senescence-whether for management, aquaculture, or fundamental research.
Keywords: holobiont, Lifespan, Longevity, Metabolome, premature senescence, Seaweed
Received: 26 May 2025; Accepted: 13 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Qui-Minet, Connan and Stiger-Pouvreau. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zujaila Nohemy Qui-Minet, zquiminet@gmail.com
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