Microorganisms in Macroalgae Cultivation Ecosystems: A Systematic Review and Future Prospects Based on Bibliometric Analysis

Microorganisms play an essential role in the biogeochemical processes of macroalgal cultivation ecosystems by participating in a complex network of interactions, significantly influencing the growth and development of macroalgae. This study used bibliometric analysis and VOSviewer based on Web of Science data to provide an overview by tracing the developmental footprint of the technology. Countries, institutions, authors, keywords, and key phrases were tracked and mapped accordingly. From 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2023, 619 documents by 2516 authors from 716 institutions in 51 countries were analyzed. Keyword co-occurrence network analysis revealed five main areas of research on microbes in macroalgal cultivation ecosystems: (1) identification of microbial species and functional genes, (2) biogeochemical cycling of carbon in microbial communities, (3) microbial influences on macroalgae growth and development, (4) bioactivities, and (5) studies based on database. Thematic evolution and map research emphasized the centrality of microbial diversity research in this direction. Over time, the research hotspots and the core scientific questions of the microorganisms in the macroalgal cultivation ecosystems have evolved from single-organism interactions to the complex dynamics of microbial communities. The application of high-throughput techniques had become a hotspot, and the adoption of systems biology approaches had further facilitated the integrated analysis of microbial community composition and function. Our results provide valuable guidance and information for future researches on algal–bacterial interactions and microbe-driven carbon cycling in coastal ecosystems.