Harnessing Aquatic Microbial Symbioses for Sustainable Aquaculture: Unveiling Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics

Microorganisms are integral to aquatic ecosystems, playing a crucial role in sustaining ecological balance and participating in nutrient cycling, food web dynamics, and biogeochemical processes. However, changes in microbial populations and their interactions with aquatic macroorganisms can pose significant challenges to aquaculture health, productivity, and the quality and safety of aquaculture products. With the growing challenges of climate change and environmental pollution, understanding microbial biodiversity within these environments is essential for sustainable management. The Research Topic focuses on the symbiotic roles that microorganisms, ranging from bacteria to viruses, play in promoting aquaculture productivity and health. Advanced methodologies, such as high-throughput sequencing, are being combined with traditional culturomics techniques to unravel the diversity and function of microbial communities in marine and freshwater settings. Research has begun to reveal fascinating microbial interactions, such as those between microalgae and bacteria, which can improve water quality, enhance nutrient cycling, and manage diseases within aquaculture systems. Despite these advancements, further investigation is necessary to develop ecologically relevant models and tools that can bolster aquatic ecosystem health and welfare.

This Research Topic aims to explore the intricacies of microbial interactions and their potential to transform aquaculture practices. By examining these communities, we seek to foster nature-based solutions, develop environmentally friendly infection treatments, and understand the roles of specific microbial taxa in water quality prediction. Our goal is to bridge aquatic microbial symbioses with practical aquaculture applications, generating insights that lead to enhanced sustainability in the aquaculture industry.

In pursuit of further insights into aquatic microbial biodiversity and dynamics, we welcome original research articles, reviews, mini reviews, and methodology articles, addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

o In-depth analysis of symbiotic microbial communities in aquatic hosts using metagenomics and culturomics
o Characterization of biological properties, including, phylogeny, and evolution of symbiotic microorganisms in aquaculture systems
o Functional profiling of symbiotic interactions and metabolic exchange between microbes and aquaculture species
o Leveraging knowledge of host-associated symbionts to develop targeted probiotics, symbiotics, and bioactive feeds in aquaculture
o Exploring the role of symbiotic microbes in modulating pathogen resistance and immune responses in cultured aquatic species
o Integrative machine learning approaches to unravel the complexity of host-microbe symbioses and predict ecosystem impacts
o Development and application of biosensors to monitor symbiotic microbiome health and stability in real-time within aquaculture environments

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Sustainable Aquaculture, Aquatic Microbial Symbioses, Biosensors, Culturomics, Freshwater ecosystem, Fish pathogens, Marine ecosystem, Metagenomics, Microbial Biodiversity, Nature-based solutions, Omics, Microbial biocenoses

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.