How future climate change may affect the microbes and health of kelp habitats

Kelp Ecklonia radiata exhibited disease-like symptoms, including blistering and bleaching, particularly under acidification treatments.

• Microbial communities associated with kelp were influenced by warming and acidification, showing initial changes within the first week.
• By the second week, some kelp displayed symptoms similar to diseases seen in natural environments.
• Tissue degradation in kelp was notably pronounced under acidification, negatively impacting photosynthetic efficiency.
• Differences in microbial communities were observed between healthy and blistered kelp across all treatments, except under combined future warming and acidification conditions.
• Under future climate scenarios, the microbiome changes were unpredictable, suggesting complex interactions with host health.

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