Sedimentary bacterial communities in subtropical Beibu Gulf: Assembly process and functional profile

Bacterial communities in marine sediments of the subtropical Beibu Gulf differ significantly from those of other regions. Thus, it is of great importance to study the marine sediment characteristics comprising bacterial composition, diversity, assembly processes, and functional profile. However, such sediments characteristics in subtropical Beibu Gulf remain unclear. Therefore, we studied the diversity, assembly processes, and functional profiles of the bacterial communities in sediment samples collected from 21 sites in the Beibu Gulf. Upon analysis, Proteobacteria was determined to be the dominant phylum using 16S rRNA sequencing. Predominantly deterministic processes shaped the formation of bacterial communities. The predicted bacterial functional groups involved in the carbon cycle (59.06%) were most abundant in the FAPROTAX database, followed by nitrogen (9.25%) and sulfur (1.01%). Furthermore, the composition of the bacterial community was significantly influenced by TC, TP, and TS (p < 0.001). These results broaden our knowledge of the composition, diversity, assembly processes, and functional profile of bacterial communities in subtropical bay ecosystems, and data from amplicon sequencing will be used to monitor and manage marine ecosystems.

Automated summary

This study examined the diversity, assembly processes, and functional profiles of bacterial communities in marine sediments of the subtropical Beibu Gulf. Proteobacteria was found to be the dominant phylum, and deterministic processes played a major role in shaping the bacterial communities. The functional groups related to the carbon cycle were the most abundant, followed by nitrogen and sulfur. The composition of the bacterial community was significantly influenced by TC, TP, and TS.