Genome-Resolved Survey of Microbiomes Associated with Multiple Crustose Coralline Algae Genera in southern California.

Awardee: Annabelle Conti

Bio:
Annabelle Conti is a fourth-year at UCLA majoring in Marine Biology and MCDB, with an interest in how microbial processes shape California’s coastal ecosystems. Since joining Dr. Mónica Medina’s lab, Annabelle has become interested in using microbiology to understand basic ecological processes in marine environments. Their experience as a UCLA Divemaster has shown them how tightly connected coastal habitats are to the microbial communities that inhabit them. This perspective has motivated them to study the roles these microbial communities play in maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems and to contribute to research that supports their long-term stability.

Project:
This project investigates the microbiomes of crustose coralline algae (CCA), foundational species that structure intertidal habitats and provide settlement surfaces for many marine invertebrates, including abalone. By generating the first genome-resolved view of microbial diversity and functional potential across multiple CCA genera, this study will reveal how microbial communities differ among hosts and which metabolic pathways may contribute to surface-mediated interactions important for larval recruitment. These data will create an essential baseline for understanding how CCA support California abalone settlement and recovery, while identifying microbial traits that future experimental work can test for CCA’s role in shaping early life-stage success of benthic invertebrates.