Microbial assemblages associated with the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida in Patagonian coastal waters: Structure and alginolytic potential.

Undaria pinnatifida is a brown algae native to Asia that has settled in various regions worldwide, periodically contributing with large quantities of C and nutrients during its annual cycle. In this work, we analyzed a coastal site in Patagonia (Argentina) that has been colonized for three decades by U. pinnatifida, focusing on associated microbial communities in three different compartments.