Big congratulations to Johanna Berlinghof, a PhD student of the Marine Symbiomes Research Group at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, in collaboration with the Marine Ecology group at the University of Bremen, Germany! She successfully defended her PhD, “Microbe-host associations as drivers of benthic carbon and nitrogen cycling in a changing Mediterranean Sea,” earning a magna cum laude distinction!
 

Johanna’s seagrass microbiome research uncovers the crucial role of microbial communities in Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, highlighting their impact on carbon storage, nitrogen cycling, and ecosystem stability. Her groundbreaking work reveals how microbial and invertebrate interactions—especially with the sponge Chondrilla nucula—enhance seagrass resilience in changing oceans.
 

Her findings provide essential insights into seagrass microbiome research, conservation, and climate change adaptation. We are incredibly proud of Johanna’s achievement and look forward to her next steps in marine science!
 

Well done, Johanna! 🎉