Marine spatial planning for socio-ecological management of animal-associated microbiomes

Biodiversity changes and habitat shifts are two phenomena substantially reshaping marine life on our present and future planet. Although those phenomena are well recognized on the macrobial level, they currently do not receive similar attention on the microbial level. Generally, microbiome diversity and function, associated with and governing the health and fitness of their host organisms, are neglected in conservation efforts. This is especially problematic as previous research has highlighted that host-associated microbes (microbiomes) may display distribution patterns that are not only correlated with host animal biogeographies but also with other factors such as prevailing environmental conditions. Here, marine spatial planning for socio-ecological management of animal-associated microbiomes is discussed, using deep-sea sponge and coral-associated microbiomes as an example of how to incorporate microbial diversity into conservation planning. We advocate for a holistic and integrative approach to marine spatial planning that incorporates the larger habitat, the host, the microbiome, as well as the socio-economic and cultural perspective, throughout the whole decision-making process. A general workflow containing the needed steps to establish microbiome-integrated marine protected areas is presented, as well as the analytical steps and results underlying the implementation of the world's first microbiome-considered marine conservation network on the Scotian Shelf off eastern Canada.