A metabarcoding analysis of the wrackbed microbiome indicates a phylogeographic break along the North Sea–Baltic Sea transition zone
Sandy beaches are biogeochemical hotspots that bridge marine and terrestrial ecosystems via the transfer of organic matter, such as seaweed (termed wrack). A keystone of this unique ecosystem is the microbial community, which helps to degrade wrack and re-mineralize nutrients. However, little is known about this community. Here, we characterize the wrackbed microbiome as well as the microbiome of