A Global Bibliometric Analysis of Seaweed Biodiversity, Endemic Taxa, and Conservation (1992–2023)

Marine habitats are increasingly facing human-induced stressors, posing significant threats to global marine biodiversity. Understanding the ecological, economic, and social importance of marine ecosystems is paramount. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of seaweed biodiversity from 1992 to 2023, aiming to (i) quantify the literature productivity, (ii) identify the active countries, (iii) determine the prolific authors, (iv) highlight the highly cited publications, and (v) enumerate the influential journals. The average annual number of publications was 37. Australia and the USA ranked highest based on the total number of citations, with 7559 and 5273, respectively. The University of Western Australia led in terms of the total number of citations, with 3688 citations from 40 publications, while the Australian Research Council emerged as the top funder. Journals such as the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Ecology, and Botanica Marina were identified as the top contributors. The keyword ‘biodiversity’ appeared 146 times, with a total link strength of 425. A similar analysis was presented for endemic seaweeds and their conservation. Among the seven major and four emerging drivers, climate change was the most researched driver, accounting for 45.80%, with 120 articles. This study anticipates that in the genomic era, seaweed biodiversity will receive increased attention for its potential in regard to the development of coherent conservation plans and innovative bioprospecting strategies that are beneficial to humankind.