What?
Seaweeds are vital to coastal ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and resilience while contributing to sustainable aquaculture and emerging bio‑based industries. Because seaweed health is tightly linked to its microbiome, advancing this field requires coordinated approaches. The HARMONY Foresight Workshop brings together an international community to harmonise methodologies, integrate datasets, and build stronger collaboration in seaweed–microbiome research.
Why?
Despite fast‑growing data generation, fragmented methods limit comparability and slow scientific and applied progress. By aligning protocols, conducting joint analyses, and fostering long‑term cooperation, HARMONY will enable robust, scalable insights that strengthen ecosystem restoration, support sustainable aquaculture, and enhance the training and cohesion of the next generation of researchers.
About
Seaweeds are fundamental to coastal ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and coastal resilience. They also play a growing role in sustainable aquaculture and innovative bio‑based solutions. Their health and performance are tightly linked to the diverse microbial communities they host—communities that influence nutrient cycling, growth, development, and resilience to stress.
Despite rapid progress in data generation, the field of seaweed microbiome research faces a critical challenge: methodological fragmentation. Differences in sampling, laboratory workflows, sequencing protocols, and bioinformatic analysis limit the comparability of results and slow down large‑scale ecological synthesis.
The HARMONY Foresight Workshop addresses this gap by bringing together an international and interdisciplinary network of researchers to harmonize approaches, integrate datasets, and strengthen long‑term collaboration in seaweed–microbiome science.
Key Objectives
The workshop aims to:
- Harmonize laboratory and bioinformatic protocols for seaweed microbiome research.
- Design a coordinated ring test to evaluate methodological variability across laboratories.
- Conduct a large‑scale meta‑analysis of existing seaweed microbiome datasets.
- Link microbiome patterns to ecological processes, restoration practices, and aquaculture applications.
- Strengthen long‑term community cohesion and develop joint funding strategies.
Expected Outcomes
Key expected outcomes of the HARMONY workshop include:
- Best‑practice recommendations for sampling, sequencing, and analytical workflows.
- A joint peer‑reviewed publication on methodological harmonization and comparability.
- Preliminary results from a large‑scale meta‑analysis of seaweed microbiomes.
- A roadmap for a shared, community‑driven seaweed microbiome data platform.
- Preparatory work for a collaborative funding proposal (e.g., a Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Doctoral Network).
Expected Impact
HARMONY will establish the foundations for robust, comparable, and scalable seaweed microbiome research across Europe and beyond. By fostering methodological alignment and international cooperation, the initiative will enhance the ecological relevance and applied potential of microbiome studies—supporting restoration efforts, sustainable aquaculture, and training opportunities for the next generation of researchers.
Registration
Participation is by invitation, with an open call circulated to EuroMarine member institutions and the broader phycology community. Early‑career researchers and students are strongly encouraged to participate