The holobiont concept (i.e., multiple living beings in close symbiosis with one another and functioning as a unit) is revolutionizing our understanding of biology, especially in marine systems. The earliest marine holobiont was likely a syntrophic partnership of at least two prokaryotic members. Since then, symbiosis has enabled marine organisms to conquer all ocean habitats through the formation of holobionts with a wide spectrum of complexities. However, most scientific inquiries have focused on isolated organisms and their adaptations to specific environments. In this review, we attempt to illustrate why a holobiont perspective—specifically, the study of how numerous organisms form a discrete ecological unit through symbiosis—will be a more impactful strategy to advance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of marine life. We argue that this approach is instrumental in addressing the threats to marine biodiversity posed by the current global environmental crisis.

中文翻译：

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海洋全生物的进化、组装和动力学

全生物概念（即多种生物彼此紧密共生并作为一个整体发挥作用）正在彻底改变我们对生物学的理解，特别是在海洋系统中。最早的海洋全生物可能是至少两个原核生物成员的互养伙伴关系。从那时起，共生使海洋生物能够通过形成具有广泛复杂性的全生物来征服所有海洋栖息地。然而，大多数科学调查都集中在孤立的生物体及其对特定环境的适应上。在这篇综述中，我们试图说明为什么全生物视角——具体来说，研究众多生物体如何通过共生形成一个离散的生态单元——将是一个更有影响力的策略，以促进我们对海洋生物生态和进化的理解。我们认为，这种方法有助于解决当前全球环境危机对海洋生物多样性造成的威胁。