Regional variations in the diversity and predicted metabolic potential of benthic prokaryotes in coastal northern Zhejiang, East China Sea

摘要: Knowledge about the drivers of benthic prokaryotic diversity and metabolic potential in interconnected coastal sediments at regional scales is limited. We collected surface across six zones covering ~200 km northern Zhejiang, East China Sea combined 16 S rRNA gene sequencing, community-level prediction, sediment physicochemical measurements to investigate variations composition with geographic distance under local environmental conditions. Geographic was most influential factor β-diversity compared major drivers, including temperature, texture, acid-volatile sulfide, water depth, but a large unexplained variation community suggested effects unmeasured abiotic/biotic factors stochastic processes. Moreover, assemblages showed biogeographic provincialism zones. The predicted similarly shifted as taxonomic did. Acid-volatile sulfide strongly correlated composition. enrichments relative abundance sulfate-reducing bacteria genes relevant dissimilatory sulfate reduction were observed predicted, respectively, Yushan area. These results provide insights into importance condition driving areas predict specific biogeochemically-relevant for future studies.