Fungal Aerosol Diversity Over the Northern South China Sea: The Influence of Land and Ocean

Fungal aerosols are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and can directly and/or indirectly affect the atmospheric cloud formation process, which play an important role in global climate change and human health. In this study, we performed a comprehensive study on airborne fungi over the northern South China Sea (NSCS). Total suspended particle (TSP) samples were collected during a cruise campaign in the NSCS, and fungal community structure was obtained via high-throughput sequencing method. The abundance of Ascomycota (AMC) was much higher than that of Basidiomycota (BMC) in the marine fungal aerosols over this region. We observed relatively high abundances of Nigrospora and Cladosporium, two genera belonging to AMC, in the near-coast samples compared to those in the open-ocean samples. Therefore, we proposed that they could be used as the potential terrestrial source indicators in this region. The richness of fungal diversity and composition of fungal community were found to be dependent on the distance to the Asian continental coast, suggesting the strong influence of terrestrial sources. Over the open ocean, terrestrial and marine contribution could significantly impact the diversity richness and community structure of the fungal aerosols. This study could improve the current understanding of fungal aerosols on their characteristics and influencing factors over the oceanic area.

Automated summary

Fungal aerosols in the atmosphere have a significant impact on cloud formation, global climate change, and human health. A study in the northern South China Sea found that the abundance and composition of fungal aerosols were influenced by terrestrial sources, with the near-coast samples showing higher abundances of certain fungal genera. The study highlights the importance of understanding the characteristics and influencing factors of fungal aerosols over the oceanic area.