From holobionts to habitats: opportunities and limitations of microbiome-assisted restoration strategies of marine ecosystem engineers.

Microbiome-assisted restoration has the potential to enhance resilience of marine ecosystem engineers, but practical application remains limited to laboratory research with few field tests.

• Why it matters: Marine organisms like corals, seaweeds, and seagrasses are vital to coastal ecosystems but are declining rapidly due to climate change and human activities, creating an urgent need for innovative recovery strategies.
• What they did: The authors developed a framework with four key pillars—environmental compatibility, scientific validation, legal clarity, and in situ monitoring—to assess risks and success in applying microbiome-based restoration methods.
• The result: Implementing this cycle of assessment and monitoring could transform microbiome-assisted approaches from experimental ideas into practical tools, bolstering ecosystem resilience and conservation efforts.